Simone Biles talked to reporters after withdrawing from the team event at the Tokyo Olympics saying she “wasn’t in the right ‘headspace’ to compete”:
TOKYO (@AP) – Simone Biles says she wasn't in right 'headspace' to compete and withdrew from gymnastics team final to protect herself. @WLWT
— Steven Albritton (@StevenAlbritton) July 27, 2021
She added, “I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second-guessing myself”:
BREAKING: Simone Biles says she withdrew from #TokyoOlympics gymnastics team final because she wasn't in the right headspace to compete. "I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second-guessing myself,” the American gymnast said. https://t.co/bbjDKlpVbu
— The Associated Press (@AP) July 27, 2021
And “I have to focus on my mental health”:
‘I have to focus on my mental health,’ says Simone Biles after withdrawing from gold medal eventhttps://t.co/ZH43CANcNY
— 7News Boston WHDH (@7News) July 27, 2021
And:
Simone Biles: ‘I feel like I’m also not having as much fun – and this Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself and it felt like I was still doing for other people – and that hurts my heart that doing what I love has been taken away from me.’
— Ian Herbert (@ianherbs) July 27, 2021
Watch:
One of the most remarkable mixed zone press conferences I’ve known. In which Simone Biles described pulling out of tonight’s team event because she had to put her mental health first. Says she was inspired by Naomi Osaka among others #Olympics #ArtisticGymnastics pic.twitter.com/p3Rli5S7J0
— Ian Herbert (@ianherbs) July 27, 2021
Team USA, without Biles, ended up winning Silver:
Congratulations to the U.S. women for a hard-fought silver medal! 🥈 🇺🇸
So proud of this team! #Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/0Z8RemzwCD
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 27, 2021
***
Related:
UPDATE: From the NBC broadcast: '…it is not injury-related. It is a mental issue that Simone is having' https://t.co/HRVz3kMCXU
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) July 27, 2021
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