American gymnast Simone Biles (24) will not defend her title tomorrow in the individual all-round final at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. USA Gymnastics reports this on Wednesday. Yesterday Biles withdrew from the team final. “I have to monitor my mental health,” she said afterward.
“After a further medical evaluation, Simone Biles is forfeiting her individual all-round competition to focus on her mental health,” a USA Gymnastics press release said. “Simone will be evaluated daily to determine whether or not she can compete in the apparatus finals. We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and commend her courage to prioritize her well-being. Her bravery once again demonstrates why she is a role model for many.”
Biles received ‘only’ 13,766 points for her jump exercise on Tuesday, her lowest score on this device ever in her Olympic career. After that, she decided not to take action on the other aircraft. Without Biles, the US had to be content with the silver, the gold medal went to Russia.
On Sunday, Biles qualified for the all-round final with the highest score (57.731). In it, she is replaced by her compatriot Jade Carey. Biles also secured a spot for all apparatus finals.
At the previous Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Biles was good for four golds (all-round, jump, floor, team) and one bronze (beam). Biles also counts nineteen world titles on her impressive list of achievements.
