Simone Biles OUT of individual Tokyo 2020 event due to mental health – but USA star could still go for gold next week
SIMONE BILES has pulled out of Thursday’s women’s individual all-around gymnastics final to focus on her mental health.
And there is the possibility she might quit the Tokyo Olympics for good and decide against competing in next week’s apparatus finals.
The American superstar – a four-time Olympic gold medallist – withdrew from yesterday’s team final.
The sport’s most dominant star and biggest name then admitted she is struggling to cope with the weight of expectation.
The 24-year-old was praised for her candid admission in which she declared she wanted to “protect my mental well-being”.
A USA gymnastics statement read: “After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health.
“Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participated in next week’s individual events finals.
“Jade Carey, who had the ninth-highest score in qualifications, will participate in her place in the all-around.
“We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritising her well-being.
“Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”
BOTCHED VAULT
After botching her vault – the first of four routines – Biles immediately withdrew from the USA side but remained in the arena to support her teammates to silver.
After the competition – in which left the US surrendered gold to the Russia Olympic Committee – Biles gave an extraordinary interview in the mixed zone and press conference.
The Ohio-born star revealed she was not in the “right headspace” to continue, she has been “fighting demons” and would not carry on if it jeopardised her health and wellbeing.
Biles has qualified for all four of the apparatus finals and was set to become the face of these delayed Games.
The vault and uneven bars finals are on Sunday August 1, then it’s the floor exercise on Monday and balance beam next Tuesday.
She came to Japan with realistic aspirations of winning five gold medals and equalling the Olympic record for a female athletes.
Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina won nine gold medals while competing at Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960 and Tokyo 1964.
OLYMPIC SHOCKWAVE
On Tuesday she confirmed she was not injured, explaining: “Just a little injury to my pride.
“I have to focus on my mental health.
“I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now…we have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.
“I don’t trust myself as much anymore, maybe it’s getting older.
“There were a couple of days when everybody tweets you and you feel the weight of the world.
“We’re not just athletes, we’re people at the end of the day and sometimes you just have to step back.
“We have to protect our body and our mind. It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.”
PHYSICALLY GOOD
Simone later told NBC: “Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape. Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.
“We’re gonna take it day by day, and we’re just gonna see.
“I’m OK, just super frustrated of how the night, but super proud of these girls and now we’re silver medalists. Something we’ll cherish forever.
“We hope America still loves us.”
‘TIRED, OLD, STRESSED OUT’
Asked by the The New York Times about her happiest time in gymnastics, she replied: “Honestly, probably my time off.
“I’m old. I’m tired. Stressed out. Everything hurts.”
In 2019 she admitted: “Pain is just something I live with and that is pretty odd for my age, right? It feels weird if I’m not in pain.
“My body feels like it is maybe in its 30s or 40s. Maybe older. Inside it is screaming and yelling at me.”
Biles, the four-time gold medalist and stand-out global star in Rio in 2016, pulled out of the team final as the US suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the Russians on Tuesday.
She withdrew after botching her vault in the opening round of the final after calling the last five years “a long journey.”
WEIGHT OF THE WORLD
She uncharacteristically admitted on social media that she had been struggling to cope with the “weight of the world on my shoulders” in the build-up to this event.
She wrote after progressing through qualifying on Sunday: “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it.”
She added: “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.
“I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually. They mean the world to me!”
COMPETITION: SPOT THE BALL TO WIN A CAR AND CASH
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Biles had said she returned to the Olympics to be a voice for abuse survivors in the wake of Larry Nassar’s crimes.
The disgraced sports doctor sexually assaulted female athletes in a scandal that turned USA Gymnastics upside down.
Biles said she was one of those abused by Nassar. She told NBC in April: “I just feel like everything that happened, I had to come back to the sport to be a voice, to have change happen.
“If there weren’t a remaining survivor in the sport they would’ve just brushed it to the side.”
Biles failed to complete her two-and-half twist vault and landed poorly, leaving suspicions of an injured ankle – only for American team sources to suggest that she left the competition due to mental health issues.