Simone Biles indicated her shocking withdrawal from the women’s gymnastics team competition Tuesday in Tokyo was due to the emotional toll she is feeling as “the head star” of the Olympics rather than any physical injury.
Biles also said she was inspired to “focus on my well-being” by Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open in May and skipped Wimbledon earlier this month for mental-health reasons before she was eliminated earlier Tuesday from the women’s tennis singles competition.
“There’s more to life than just gymnastics,” Biles told reporters in a mixed-zone press conference alongside her teammates, who earned the silver medal following her departure. “It’s very unfortunate that it happened at this stage, because I definitely wanted it to go a little bit better. Take it one day at a time and we’re gonna see how the rest goes.”
USA Gymnastics said earlier in a statement that Biles withdrawal following her vault rotation was due to a unspecified “medical issue,” adding that the 24-year-old star “will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Follow all the 2020 Olympics action
- Daily updated medal counts, full schedule and results, athlete bios and more
- Full Post coverage of the Games
“We’re going to take it a day at a time and see what happens,” she said, “I have to focus on my mental health.
“I just don’t trust myself as much anymore. I don’t know if it’s age, I’m just more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun. And I know this Olympic Games, I wanted it to be for myself. I’m still doing it for other people.”
The four-time Olympic gold medalist indicated, however, that she plans to compete in the all-around competition that begins Thursday and the individual apparatus events.
“Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape,” the 24-year-old Biles told NBC’s Hoda Kotb “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and the moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star of the Olympics is not an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.
“I’m OK, just super frustrated of how the night went, but super proud of these girls and now we’re silver medalists. Something we’ll cherish forever. We hope America still loves us.”
Biles also revealed that her teammates “were freaking out” when she informed them of her decision to drop out of the competition.
“They were crying, and I was like, ‘You guys need to relax, you’re gonna be fine without me. Go out there, kick some butt just like you’ve done in training, and just lay it out on the floor and see what happens,’” Biles said.