To dismay of her international audience, Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s team finals earlier on Tuesday. While the announcement landed was a shock as the Olympic stage is the pinnacle of the gymnastics arena, the 24-year-old‘s move to exit the finals follows her stumbled landing on the vault during the first rotation of the team competition.
“After the performance that I did, I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second guessing myself, so I thought it was better if I took a step back and let these girls go out there and do the job and they did just that,” Biles told reporters via USA Today. Originally, USA Gymnastics asserted the basis of the withdrawal as a medical issue. Although later refuted, the initial statement read, “Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Admitting that she is “still struggling with some things,” Biles shared to Hoda Kotb on NBC’s TODAY show that she goes to therapy to help her with cope with mental strain of stardom and athletic excellence. “That’s all been going really well. Whenever you get in high-stress situations, you kind of freak out and don’t know really know how to handle all of those emotions especially at the Olympic Games.”
In an Instagram post, Biles congratulated the team for their resilience as the ultimately clinched silver medals in spite of her absence. “I’m SO proud of these girls right here. You girls are incredibly brave & talented! I’ll forever be inspired by your determination to not give up and to fight through adversity!” She continued, “They stepped up when I couldn’t. thanks for being there for me and having my back! forever love y’all.”
