Simone Biles withdraws from individual all-around final at Tokyo 2020 Olympics ‘to focus on her mental health’, USA Gymnastics confirms
Simone Biles has pulled out of tomorrow’s women’s individual all-around gymnastics final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, following her withdrawal during the team final yesterday.
USA Gymnastics said the move would allow Biles “to focus on her mental health” and that it had not been decided yet whether Biles would compete in further events next week.
The 24-year-old, who won four gold medals at the last Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, abruptly halted her participation in the team final on Tuesday and later spoke about the stress she had felt before the Games.
“After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in order to focus on her mental health,” said USA Gymnastics.
“Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals.”
Biles, the most decorated American gymnast ever and widely considered the best of all time, has qualified for the finals of the vault and uneven bars on Sunday, floor exercise on Monday and balance beam on Tuesday.
She won floor and vault gold in Rio, as well as bronze on the bars. She is the reigning world champion on the balance beam.
Her place in the all-around final will be taken by USA team-mate Jade Carey, who had the ninth highest score in qualifications.
Biles withdrew from the team final after posting her lowest ever score at the Olympics on the vault.
She returned to the arena to cheer her team-mates on to the silver medal and said afterwards that she had been feeling intense pressure before the Olympics.
“I just didn’t want to go on. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do,” she said.
“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.”