PHOENIX — Team USA’s Simone Biles pulled out of the US team gymnastics finals Tokyo Tuesday after completing a vault.
USA Gymnastics initially said it was for a medical issue, however, Biles has since said stress impacted her mental game at the Olympics.
One Olympic Gold Gymnast to Another
Amanda Borden, who won gold in the 1996 Olympics as a gymnast, said watching the vault Biles looked nervous, which Borden said is very unlike Biles.
“Simone Biles handles pressure, I think there’s just a lot of other factors that have played into this year as we can all relate to,” Borden said.
Borden, who now owns Gold Medal Gymnastics in the East Valley, said during the vault, it appears as though Biles gets lost in the air.
“Right in midair you see her change her head position, that usually means you’re lost and you don’t know where you’re at, which is not a comfortable feeling,” Borden said.
Follow all the latest updates from the Tokyo Olympics at 12news.com/Olympics
Watch the full story below:
No physical injury impacting Biles
Biles, who won four Olympic gold medals in the 2016 Rio Olympics and holds various other accolades, was seen talking to her teammates as she pulled out of the team competition.
“You guys have trained for this your entire lives,” Biles said.
Later, as she sat among her teammates, Biles addressed her decision to pull out, said she was not injured, and stepped back so she wouldn’t get injured.
Biles praised her teammates for bringing home Silver in the competition.
“It’s been really stressful these Olympic Games. I think as a whole not having an audience. There are a lot of different variables going into it. It’s been a long week, a long Olympic process. It’s been a long year,” Biles said.
It’s unclear at the moment if Biles will compete Thursday during the individual competition.
Opening up dialogue
Valley sports psychologist Adam Berry said the mental game is critical to executing the sport, as athletes hope to have their muscle memory take over during competition.
“The mental side of the sport is as vital as the physical side,” Berry said.
Berry said it was courageous of Biles to step back from the competition.
“I think it’s now bringing the importance of psychological and mental health to the forefront, and I think that can only be a good thing,” Berry said.
As Borden now trains the next generation of gymnasts, she said Biles’ decision during the games serves as a reminder.
“We’re all human, Simone Biles included,” Borden said. “I feel bad for her because you don’t want somebody to be the person that is the lesson. But I hope that she walks away, when she’s my age, you know I’m in my 40s, and you realize how inspiring these types of moments can be.”
Olympics
The Tokyo Olympics are here! Watch some of our YouTube content featuring athletes and stories with unique Arizona connections. Subscribe for updates.
