Simone Biles will compete in Tuesday’s balance beam final, her first since pulling out of multiple competitions for mental health reasons, USA Gymnastics announced Monday morning.
Last Tuesday the superstar gymnast withdrew in the middle of the team final after she stumbled upon landing during the vault. In a press conference afterwards, Biles said that she did not feel right mentally in the buildup to the event.
“I was just, like, shaking, could barely nap. I just never felt like this going into a competition before, and I tried to go out here and have fun,” Biles said.
On Wednesday, USA Gymnastics announced that Biles had also backed out of the individual all-around competition “in order to focus on her mental health.”
“We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being,” USA Gymnastics said in a statement at the time. “Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”
On Friday, Biles did a Q&A on Instagram and posted a practice video to further explain what she has been going through. She explained that the mental block started happening randomly the morning after the preliminary competitions.
“For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit my mind and body are simply not in sync,” she wrote.
The balance beam final will be Biles’ only individual shot at an Olympic Medal.
