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When one thinks of gymnastics, one of the eminent names that would come to mind is Simone Biles. The Olympic gymnast made heads turn with her tricks up the bar. Bagging multiple golds at the Olympics and World Championships, the star is all set to settle down with the love of her life. However, something that keeps coming back to haunt the gymnast is her Tokyo Olympics incident.

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When Simone quit Olympics in 2021, it came as a shock to the entire world. Stating mental health issues, the star exclaimed she couldn’t perform. Although she received an outpour of support during this time, she was also criticized.

Simone Biles didn’t know how to go on

While people knew about how competition pressure severely affected her, that barely scratched the surface of the reasons. Before the Tokyo Olympics commenced, the star had already gone through many upsetting situations and tough training. Pushing through them and somehow making it to the Olympics was a huge feat in itself. However, during the competition, Biles went through a condition called ‘twisties’, that affected her mind-body coordination. She quit with immediate effect.

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Although the announcement brought shock and sadness, the gymnast received a lot of support. Not only her fans but also her fellow athletes sent her words of encouragement. But just like any other disappointing situation, the star received criticism from frustrated fans who wanted the country to win. In an interview, Simone addressed the hate she received with a relatable analogy.

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She compared her feeling with a 30-year-old going blind after years of complete eyesight. While they know they can’t see, others keep telling them to do their job just like they used to. That was exactly how the gymnast felt during the Tokyo Olympics. If it was merely a bad day, she would’ve pushed through. But problems went beyond that. She exclaimed, “I woke up ? lost it. How am I supposed to go on with my day?”

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While performance pressure is real, something as intense as quitting the Olympics carries a lot of accountability. Simone has since moved on from the incident, even though she has her sad days at times. She set an example by putting herself before anything else. After all, mental and physical health supersedes everything else!

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