Simone Biles retracted the women’s individual gymnastics final at the Toiko Olympics on Wednesday, again citing her mental health.
Biles, the most decorated American gymnast too The team withdrew from the final on Tuesday Due to mental health after struggling early on the bunker.
Biles qualified first for the individual all-around event and was a favorite for multiple gold medals at the Olympics.
But on Wednesday, American gymnastics announce That Biles also pulled out of the singles overall competition “in order to focus on her mental health.”
“We strongly support Simone’s decision and applaud her courage in prioritizing her well-being,” the American Gymnastics Association said in a statement. “Her courage shows, once again, why she is a role model for so many.”
News of Biles’ withdrawal comes on the heels of a dramatic turn of events during Tuesday’s finals, which saw the 24-year-old withdraw from the middle of competition after her first run.
Biles was set to complete all four of Team USA’s tournaments during the finals, but seemed to shake up when she climbed into the vault, which is usually one of her best events. It looks like it got away at the last second, did 1.5 flips instead of 2.5, and landed with a big correction. Recorded by the vault 13.766, which is a significant drop from her average score of 16,050 for the same event during the previous Olympics, and the lowest score in the rotation.
Biles then left the competition floor, returning to the sidelines for the rest of the competition to support her teammates, who went on to win the silver medal.
She later told reporters that she didn’t feel well in reinforcements, and backed down because she “didn’t want to risk the team a medal for my mistakes because they worked so hard for it.”
“I was shivering, I could barely sleep,” Biles added. “I’ve never felt like this entering a competition before.”
One day before the team final, Biles was She told her followers on Instagram: She felt “the weight of the world” on her shoulders.
USA Gymnastics said Biles will “continue to be evaluated daily” to see if she can compete in the singles events next week.
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