Simone Biles Pulls Out of the Gymnastics Team Final at the 2021 Olympics

Simone Biles has pulled out of the gymnastics team final at the Olympics 2021 for a “medical issue,” the Today show reported on Tuesday, July 27. 

USA Gymnastics says Biles will be assessed daily to determine if she’s fit for future events at the Tokyo Games. Team USA ultimately finished in second, with the Russian Olympic Committee taking home gold in the team finals. 

According to the New York Times,  Biles “faltered” on the vault, doing a Yurchenko with 1½ twists as opposed to the planned 2½ twists. She also “stumbled” out of the landing. 

The rest of the gymnastics team will continue to compete at the Olympics 2021 without Biles, of course hoping she’ll join for individual events later in the Games. 

Simone Biles took to Instagram a few days ago to talk Olympics pressure. “It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,” she wrote. “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! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually🤍 they mean the world to me!”

Aly Raisman, who competed in U.S. gymnastics at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, talked to Today about Biles’s situation. “I’m just completely devastated, obviously so worried, and just hoping Simone is okay,” she said. “I’m also just thinking about the mental impact this has to have on Simone. It’s so much pressure. I’ve been watching how much pressure’s been on her in the months leading up to the Games.”

Support for Biles is pouring in. “Sending #SimoneBiles lots of love,” one person tweeted. “I hope she feels all of us supporting her from afar. We will never understand the level of pressure she’s been under the last 5 years.”