USA Gymnastics have announced today that 24 year old Simone Biles known as one of the greatest gymnast of all times has withdrawn from the individual all-around Tokyo 2020 gymnastics competition to focus on her mental health
Her withdrawal comes after the she stepped away from a dramatic team competition on Tuesday citing mental heath concerns as she attempts to protect “her body and mind.”
USA Gymnastics said it supported her decision “wholeheartedly,” adding in its statement that Biles would be assessed every day.
A statement on the USA Gymnastics’ Twitter account read “After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health. Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals. Jade Carey, who had the ninth highest score in qualifications, will participate in her place in the all-around.
We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”
Biles has been one of the favorites to win gold in Thursday’s final, having won every individual all-around competition that she has entered since 2013. After Sunday’s qualifying in Tokyo, Biles finished first with a score of 57.731.
On Tuesday, Biles said that she was going to take the rest of the Olympics “one day at a time” as she looks to add to her haul of four gold medals won at the 2016 Rio Olympics.