Five-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was removed from the gymnastics team final because of a “medical issue,” ESPN reports.
In the vault event, Biles attempted Yurchenko 1.5, a relatively safe routine for someone of the status of Biles. The judges gave her a score of 13.766 with 15.8 being the maximum score. During the preliminary qualifying round for the event, Biles scored 15.183.
Biles knew that she still wasn’t herself and decided that the best thing she could do was to remove herself from the 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 said, according to USA Today.
After the vault, Biles was scheduled to compete on the uneven bars but her teammate Jordan Chiles was selected as her substitution according to NBC News. The team said that Biles was dealing with a “mental issue” not a physical one.
Because of Biles’ absence, the U.S. Gymnastics team won the silver medal in the team competition in a hard-fought duel with the Russian Olympic Committee.
After her performance, she spoke with her trainer and then headed to the locker room with the team doctor.
In a statement on Twitter, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles would not return to the team competition.
"Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue," USA Gymnastics tweeted. "She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."
In an Instagram post on Monday, Biles alluded to the growing pressures of performing at the highest level and how she’s coping with the process.
“It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,” she wrote. “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually🤍 they mean the world to me!”
"I was still struggling with some things," Biles said of competing Tuesday night. "Therapy has helped a lot as well as medicine. 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."
"I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being," Biles told reporters, according to CNN.
We hope for a speedy recovery for Biles and she’s still the G.O.A.T.
