Topline
American gymnast Simone Biles will compete in the final women’s gymnastics event at the Tokyo Olympics, USA Gymnastics confirmed Monday, after the four-time Olympic gold medalist withdrew from her previous events to prioritize her mental health.
Biles will perform at the balance beam final on Tuesday.
Key Facts
Biles will compete in the balance beam final Tuesday alongside teammate Sunisa Lee, who last week won gold in the individual all-around final.
The announcement comes after Biles withdrew from the women’s team final mid-competition last Tuesday, as well as the individual all-around and the vault and uneven beam finals on Sunday.
Biles, 24, last week detailed her struggle with the “twisties,” a condition commonly understood among gymnasts, which she said affected her ability to “tell up from down.”
Crucial Quote
USA Gymnastics said in a statement: “We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow—Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!”
Key Background
Biles received an outpouring of support after her decision to withdraw to take care of her health, prevent injury and avoid jeopardizing her teammates’ chances of winning a medal. After Biles withdrew from the team all-around finals, teammates Lee, Grace McCallum and Jordan Chiles went on to complete the event, earning the USA team the silver medal. She later acknowledged the encouragement, including from fellow Olympians, as allowing her to see herself as “more than my accomplishments.” Biles talked about the pressure she faced before the competition kicked off, saying she often feels she has the “weight of the world” on her shoulders.
Big Number
61. That’s how many medals Team USA has earned across the Games, leading the count. China is second, with 58 medals, although it leads the gold medal tally with 28, while the Russian Olympic Committee has earned 47 medals so far.
Further Reading
