Simone Biles Ends Silence After Dropping Out Of Gymnastics Team Final: 'We Hope America Still Loves Us'

Jul 28, 2021 by apost team

Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in history. Over the years, people all over the globe have been able to witness her indisputable talents and highly impressive skills in the athletic world as she has been a shining star in national and global competition.

She has earned herself plenty of Olympic medals and World Championship medals, and has easily become one of the most dominating athletes in the world. From jaw-dropping stunts and tricks to her determined personality, it's not hard to see why so many people have become a fan of the 24-year-old star. 

Now, the four-time Olympic gold medalist has let it be known that she will not compete in this Thursday's individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics. According to an emailed statement received by publications such as the New York Times, she is withdrawing from the team finals because of a mental health issue.

Her trainers have let it be known that she will be continually re-evaluated every day and that her participation in the event finals next week will depend on what those evaluations find. The US Olympics team has since continued competing without the renowned gymnast, scoring a silver medal in the last event even without their famous frontrunner.

Biles's sudden drop-out has shocked fans and sports enthusiasts all over the world. The gymnast has now spoken out and explained more of her reasoning behind the decision. It is very clear that she has not decided to drop out on a whim. Read on to hear what Biles has to say.

According to the New York Times, the e-mail statement from Biles's team and manager said: "We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, while she is a role model for so many."

Biles had already qualified for all four Olympic event finals and was expected to earn the gold medal in at least three of those four events. In the all-around bracket, it was expected that she would repeat her title win from the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. This would have made her the first female gymnast to win back-to-back titles in the Olympic all-around in the last 53 years. The event tests individual athletes on all four major disciplines of the sport: vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor competition. The goal is to determine the most complete classic gymnast worldwide.

Biles decision to step back from the Olympic all-around competition signals the end of an era for the sport. Biles has not lost an all-around competition since back in 2013 when she was still 16 and wearing braces. Her years of unbroken success have placed high hopes and pressure on her, however.

While she had arrived at the Tokyo Olympics feeling positive and telling journalists she felt "pretty good" about the competition, publications such as the New York Times also reported that she was feeling the weight of expectations on her. As the biggest star of the US team at the Tokyo Games, it became tougher to keep her thoughts focused on the events and during the hours before the team final she stated she was shaking and couldn't nap.

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In the end, the pressure was just too heavy for her to bear, she explained after withdrawing from the team final set to take place on Thursday. The final nail in the coffin came during her vault event, when she was faced with unforeseen complications.

As she was performing her vault, which was the first event of the team final, Biles got lost in the air (one moment pictured above). For non-gymnasts, this phrase might seem strange. What it means is that, in the moment, Biles didn't know where her body was in relation to the ground. This is dangerous for a gymnast, as it is crucial for them to know where the ground is at every moment of their jump. Without this knowledge, they are at risk of crashing mid-jump and heavily injuring themselves. Biles ended up performing a much simpler vault than what she had originally planned as she adjusted her performance on the spot. On the landing, she bounded forward, visibly trying to stay on her feet and struggling with her balance.

Afterward, Biles told her coach and a team doctor that she was not in the right "head space" to continue. She felt the need to drop out because she was afraid of injuring herself and also because she felt her subpar performance might jeopardize the team's chances of winning a medal.

"I'm still struggling with some things," Biles later said. "It just sucks when you are fighting with your own head." 

In a later interview after the event was over and the US team had taken home the silver medal, Biles spoke out again, stating:

"I'm OK, just super frustrated … but super proud of these girls and now we're silver medalists. [It's] something we'll cherish forever. We hope America still loves us."

What do you think about Biles's decision? We wish the gymnast a speedy recovery and hope she feels better soon. Tell us what you think and pass this along to fellow sports fans.