Four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles of the United States has withdrawn from the Tokyo Olympics women's all-around gymnastics final, USA Gymnastics announced on social media Wednesday.
A day after Biles withdrew from the women's team competition in which the U.S. team finished second, USA Gymnastics announced on Twitter that she has withdrawn from the individual competition "in order to focus on her mental health."
"Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week's individual event finals," the statement read.
After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition. We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many. pic.twitter.com/6ILdtSQF7o
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 28, 2021
The 24-year-old won four golds and a bronze at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and is widely considered one of the best gymnasts of all time.
At a press conference following the team event, Biles opened up about the stress she has been feeling at these Olympics, held following a one-year postponement and without spectators at most venues. Asked about Thursday's individual all-around event, she said she will "take it one day at a time."
"It's been really stressful this Olympic Games. Just 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, a long year," she said.
"I say put mental health first. If you don't, then you're not going to enjoy your sport. And you're not going to succeed as much as you want to."
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