Simone Biles has been the talk of the Olympics for weeks, and that was still the case on July 27, 2021, though the topics of those discussions have changed.
Biles has been the heavy favorite to win gold in every event that she was expected to compete in at the Tokyo Olympics Games. However, Biles “was removed from the gymnastics team finals” on Tuesday, according to Sports Illustrated.
According to a statement provided by USA Gymnastics on Twitter, Biles did not compete due to a “medical issue.” “Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue.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,” the statement read.
It has since been reported that Biles needed to take a mental health break. At this time, Biles has not withdrawn from any of the upcoming individual events, and may compete as soon as Thursday, July 29, 2021, during the All Around final. Biles won gold in the competition at the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Here’s what you need to know:
Biles Is Taking Things 1 Day at a Time
Biles opened up about how she’s feeling in an interview with Hoda Kotb for Today. “Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape. Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see,” she said.
In another interview, she said that she’s glad to have a break before the next event. “We’re going to see about Thursday, we’ll take it a day at a time. I know tomorrow [Wednesday] we have a bit of a break from training so that’ll be really nice, to have a mental rest day,” she said, according to the Guardian.
Biles is scheduled to participate in five individual events, including the aforementioned All-Around, the Vault, the Uneven Bars, the Balance Beam, and the Floor Exercise. The dates for the events are below.
Thursday, July 29: Women’s All-Around Finals.
Sunday, August 1: Vault and Uneven Bars Finals.
Monday, August 2: Floor Exercise Finals.
Tuesday, August 3: Balance Beam Finals.
Biles Received Support From Her Teammates on Social Media
Biles has not spoken out about her mental health on social media. Following the Team Final, she took to Instagram to congratulate Team USA on their silver medal win.
“OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALISTS. 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! They stepped up when I couldn’t. thanks for being there for me and having my back! forever love y’all,” she captioned a pic of her and her teammates holding their silver medals.
Biles received support from her teammates in the comments section of the post.
“You will forever be loved. We can’t thank you enough. You have such a huge inspiration on all of us. We wouldn’t have done it without you. Love you mo,” Jordan Chiles wrote.
“Love you so much. Thank you for inspiring me every single day. You are not only an amazing gymnast but you are also an amazing person,” Sunisa Lee added.
READ NEXT: Simone Biles’ Family: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Comments
Will Simone Biles Compete Again in the Tokyo Olympics?