Simone Biles pulled out of the all-round gymnastic finals in one of the most shocking twists in the Tokyo Olympics so far. The most decorated gymnast of all time revealed that she had taken the time off to cope with her mental health issues, which have seemingly spoilt the entire tournament for her.?
After missing out on the entire artistic gymnastics events, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles would also not be competing in the apparatus finals which would take place on Sunday, August 1. This means she will not show up in the Uneven bars or Vault finals.?
?Today, after further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles has decided to withdraw from the event finals for vault and the uneven bars,? the statement read. ?She will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether to compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam.??
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?We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this situation with courage and grace, and all of the athletes who have stepped up during these unexpected circumstances.?
The misery just keeps adding on as Biles was heavily favoured to win gold in all of these events if not one. Winning all but one gold in the events in Rio 2016, she has failed to touch a single gold so far in Tokyo.?
Simone Biles demonstrated why she cannot compete in the events
While many remain in doubt about her situation, the 24-year-old gymnast demonstrated what has been plaguing her in Tokyo- something known as the ?twisties?. Simone Biles shared videos on her Instagram story of her dismount from the uneven bars in practice and falling flat on the mat. The videos were deleted later.?
“Physical health is mental health."
Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) doesn't owe anyone an explanation, but she gave one anyway.
🐐: https://t.co/3LuDmV8sJv pic.twitter.com/lkXfL7ogPj
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 30, 2021
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However, the implication was that her body and mind got disconnected in mid-air, a phenomenon that could lead to serious injury. It is a regular occurrence in gymnastics, but Biles claims it has troubled her across all events, rather than just one or two that she previously felt it in.?
Her withdrawal from the vault finals is truly upsetting since she was expected to execute her incredible Yurchenko Double Pike move in it. Biles performed the move earlier this year, becoming the only female gymnast to ever do so.
Needless to say, Sunisa Lee is covering her absence by bagging gold from the USA. If her expertise continues to deliver, we may be looking at more gold for the 18-year-old.?
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