“Just a Bit Lost in the Air” – What Really Happened to Simone Biles at the 2020

Simone Biles is known to be the most dominant athlete in the world and the most decorated gymnast in history. She has been undefeated in all-around world championship competitions since 2013. Simone has always been assertive about pushing the boundaries of the sport. But instead of dominating the game, Biles decided to withdraw from the finals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. 

The event that Simone Biles won at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016 but withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics. She first dropped out of the women’s finals, reasoning that she was facing mental health challenges. She hasn’t spoken much about those challenges but acknowledged that she was suffering from “the twisties.”

In the Olympic team final, Simone Biles planned to perform a 2½-twisting vault, but her mind stalled after just 1½ twists: “I had no idea where I was in the air. I could have hurt myself.”

This is what “the twisties” are and why they’re so dangerous: https://t.co/lhG0jzuftE

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 28, 2021

It happened during one of the final performances of the Olympic Games when Biles embarked on a vault requiring 2 1/2 twists of her body once airborne. However, as she recounted later, it didn’t work as she hoped.

“I was trying a 2 1/2…and I ended up doing a 1 1/2. Just got a little bit lost in the air,” she said. Watching this, Biles’ former competitive gymnast Catherine Burns also spoke on the subject and explained how ‘the twisties,’ feel.

“I know that feeling so deeply in my body…of being, like I’m lost, I came out too early, where am I? And all of that is happening in the course of split seconds, that recognition of something’s not right and I need to be able to complete the trick without injuring myself,” Simone said.

Soon after that, Biles withdrew from the team final. She told the reporters that she lost control of her body as she spun through the air and that she had them before as well.

How did the USA Gymnastics respond to Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Olympic Games?

The sport of Gymnastics requires a lot of physical aspects that also challenge the mental aspects of the gymnast. One needs to be physically fit and confident, and one also needs to keep in mind the risks of gymnastics. These often put a lot of burden on the gymnasts under the record of ‘doing what it takes‘ for a better outcome.

But, when Simone Biles withdrew from the finals to prioritize her mental health, the USA Gymnastics gave a welcome change response. They said, “We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritising her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”

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…