Open Now
Open Now
Watch now

Simone Biles out of team gymnastics competition at Olympics with ‘mental issue’

U.S. gymnastics superstar Simone Biles pulled out of the team finals Tuesday after an uncharacteristic balk on her vault. According to the live Peacock broadcast, Biles’ withdrawal was not due to...

U.S. gymnastics superstar Simone Biles pulled out of the team finals Tuesday after an uncharacteristic balk on her vault.

According to the live Peacock broadcast, Biles’ withdrawal was not due to a physical injury, but a “mental issue she is having.”

Simone Biles pulled out of the team competition at the Olympics.REUTERS

One of Biles’ coaches told NBC that “physically she is fine, but she is done for tonight.”

The four-time Olympic gold medalist was being attended to by a trainer and left the floor at Ariake Gymnastics Center and was replaced during the second apparatus rotation, the uneven bars, by reserve Jordan Chiles.

Biles returned later to the floor sidelines wearing a Team USA warm-up suit to support her teammates.

Simone Biles pulled out of the team competition at the Olympics.
EPA

Biles, who made a couple of uncharacteristic mistakes on the floor exercise and vault in the qualifying round, scored a 13.766 on her vault Tuesday morning, opening up early out of a twist and taking a hop forward upon landing.

“Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement. “She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”

Simone Biles gets comforted by coach Laurent Landi.
AP

The 24-year-old Biles led the all-around standings after the qualifying round on Sunday, but the heavily favored American team trailed the Russian Olympic Committee squad entering the finals.


Follow all the 2020 Olympics action

  • Daily updated medal counts, full schedule and results, athlete bios and more
  • Full Post coverage of the Games

“It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,” Biles wrote Monday in an Instagram post. “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!”

This story originally appeared on: NyPost - Author:Peter Botte

Follow us on Google News