Simone Biles Pulls Out of Olympic Vault and Uneven Bars Finals
Simone Biles of Team USA looks on during the Women's Team Final on day four of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre on July 27, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. Credit - Fred Lee—Getty Images
Simone Biles has withdrawn from the event finals for vault and uneven bars at the Tokyo Olympics.
USA Gymnastics announced the news in a statement on July 31, adding that Biles will continue to be evaluated to determine if she will compete in the women’s floor exercise and balance beam finals. The floor exercise will take place on Aug. 2 and the balance beam final will be held on Aug. 3
After further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles has decided to withdraw from the event finals for vault and the uneven bars. She will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether to compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam. pic.twitter.com/kWqgZJK4LJ
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 31, 2021
Biles pulled out of the team and individual all-around competitions, citing the need to focus on her mental health. She has also shared that she is experienced the “twisties,” a condition in which gymnasts lose their sense of orientation while flipping and twisting in the air. Biles lost her bearings during her first vault during the team competition on July 27 and immediately made the decision to withdraw from that event.
Biles, the defending Olympic gold medalist, was expected to repeat in Tokyo and cement her status as the greatest gymnast in history. Her surprise withdrawal opened the door for her teammate, Suni Lee, to win the individual all-around gold medal.
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