U.S. gymnastics star Simone Biles out of Tokyo Olympics team final
Team USA gymnastics superstar Simone Biles is out of Tuesday's team finals at the Tokyo Olympics after stumbling on vault, the International Gymnastics Federation wrote on Twitter.
According to NBC commentators, the women's coach said Biles withdrew due to a mental issue.
The 24-year-old bailed in the middle of her Amanar attempt on vault, bringing down the difficulty level. Rather than 2.5 twists, she did just 1.5, resulting in a score of 13.766, which is low for Biles' standard.
After placing second in the qualifying round at the Tokyo Olympics for the floor routine, Biles posted an emotional photo to Instagram, saying, "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard hahaha! The olympics is no joke!"
Based on her Instagram post, it appears that she may be feeling more pressure than usual. With no family and friends allowed to attend this year's Games due to COVID-19, it's certainly been a battle for not only Biles, but all athletes involved.
The U.S. women's gymnastics team is looking to bring home the gold for the third consecutive time.
More must-reads: