U.S. women take gymnastics silver as star Simone Biles out over ‘mental health’
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UPDATE #2: USA gymnast Simone Biles said she withdrew from Tuesday’s team finals over mental health concerns.
Biles broke down in tears as she addressed the media following the women’s team gymnastics final where Team USA won silver.
“Whenever you get in a high stress situation you kind of freak out,” she said. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”
“We have to protect our body and our mind,” Biles added. “It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.”
Biles said those competing are “not just athletes, we’re people at the end of the day.”
The team is planning to have a “mental rest day” on Wednesday, Biles added.
Biles said she is proud of how her team stepped up after her withdraw by taking the silver medal.
“For me, I’m proud for how the girls stepped up and did what they had to do. I owe this to the girls, it has nothing to do with me. I am very proud of them,” she said.
Asked what she told the rest of the team when she withdrew, Biles said she told them, “you have done all the training, you can do this without me, and it will be just fine.”
UPDATE: TOKYO, Japan — The Russian Olympic Committee has won the gold medal in women’s gymnastics after U.S. star Simone Biles exited with a medical issue.
The Russian team posted a score of 169.528, ahead of the U.S. in second place at 166.096. The American team of Sunisa Lee, Grace McCallum and Jordan Chiles competed in the final three rotations without Biles, who withdrew from the competition after vault.
The gold is the first for the Russian team since the Unified Team triumphed in Barcelona in 1992 and came a day after the ROC men’s team edged Japan for the top spot in the men’s final.
Great Britain edged Italy for bronze.
The Russian athletes collapsed in joy after Angelina Melnikova’s floor routine score assured them of the top spot.
The Americans hung in there for silver even without Biles. The 24-year-old U.S. star, considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor.
ORIGINAL REPORT: TOKYO, Japan — Reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles is out of the team finals with what USA Gymnastics described as a medical issue.
The 24-year-old U.S. star, considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor.
Biles returned several minutes later. She took off her bar grips, hugged teammates Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles before putting on a jacket and sweatpants. Chiles replaced Biles on uneven bars and balance beam.
The Americans will be forced to finish the rest of the competition without her, severely hampering their bid to claim a third straight Olympic title.
The U.S. began finals on vault, with Biles going last. She was supposed to do an “Amanar,” a vault that begins with a roundoff back handspring onto the table followed by 2 1/2 twists. She seemed to change her mind in mid-air, doing just 1 1/2 twist instead.
She walked off the podium and was tended to by team doctor Marcia Faustin before making her way out of the arena.
USA Gymnastics did not specify the nature of Biles’ medical issue, saying in a statement she “will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”
Biles is scheduled to defend her Olympic title in the all-around final on Thursday. She also qualified for all four event finals later in the Games.
Whether she will get that opportunity remains to be seen.
Biles arrived in Tokyo as the unquestioned star of the Games but struggled, at least by her high standards, during qualifying. In a social media post on Monday, she admitted she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders and that the Olympics “were no joke.”
Biles won five medals in Rio de Janeiro five years ago and earned the right to win as many as six in Tokyo after making five finals.
After three rotations, the United States trailed ROC by 0.8 points with the floor exercise remaining.
