On Wednesday, it was announced that American gymnastics star Simone Biles is withdrawing from the individual all around competition in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, after she previously exited the team competition, citing a medical issue.
The 24-year-old girl has spoken with sensational honesty bout her decision saying she needed to consider both her mental and physical well-being as she dealt with the twisties incidents of disorientation during some of her gravity-defying skills.
“I have to do what’s right for me and focus on my sanity and not compromise my health and well-being, which is why I decided to take a step back during the competition and let the other girls do the job.” Biles said.
“Going into the next couple days, it’s like. Sorry, it is what it is. Whatever happens, happens. It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync.
“It just sucks that it happens here at the Olympic Games, because it can happen any other time. But with the year that it’s been, I’m really not surprised how it played out.” she added.
The American star on Monday had already shown some signs of nervousness during qualifying, making several technical faults. She still managed to qualify for the six finals on the program in Tokyo.
“At the end of the day, we’re human, too. We have to protect our mind and our body rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.” Biles said.
Despite the victory of the Russian team ahead of the Americans, Biles is still in the race to achieve a historic quintuplet that would allow her to beat the record for Olympic titles in the same edition.