TOKYO, Japan — Simone Biles will not compete to defend her individual all-around title in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
USA Gymnastics made the announcement in a statement early Wednesday:
"After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition.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."
The world is weighing in on social media about the star’s decision to pull herself from the games to focus on her mental health.
Many athletes and former Olympians are working to give the public some perspective, as well.
“There are psychological fears associated with the level of difficulty, that’s normal,” said Dominique Moceanu, former 1996 Olympics gold medalist. “When I see the boundaries being pushed, there are times where you can have psychological fears associated, gymnastics is a scary sport at the high levels, the things we ask our bodies to do take tremendous mental and physical strength."
Simone spoke to media following her decision to withdraw from the team competition Tuesday. She said she didn’t want to risk a medal to her team or an injury to her body by continuing to compete.
“I didn't want to do something silly out there and get injured,” said Biles Tuesday. “So, I thought it would be best if these girls took over and did the rest of the job, which they absolutely did."
“There could be a catastrophic injury, with the level of difficulty being asked, there is no doubt if your mind is not right, this is a real possibility,” added Moceanu.
Dr. Candice Williams is an athletics counselor at Ohio State University. She said what Biles did on the biggest stage could set the tone for the entire field of athletics moving forward.
“I mean, athletes are taking action on top of bringing awareness to mental health," Williams said. "They are carving out that space for themselves, setting that boundary to say… the weight of gold is not worth my mental health.”
For those who are criticizing Biles, mental health experts urge they consider the rigor that is involved in her profession.
“I don't think that people understand that… just like we have to get up every day to get the mental energy and prepare ourselves to go to work, said Williams. “This is her work environment, and this is what she does for a living. And that doesn't come without having to motivate yourself to do that every day.”
Jade Carey, who had the 9th highest score in the qualifying rounds, will take Biles’s place in the individual all-around competition Thursday.
The team will continue to evaluate Biles day-by-day to determine whether she will compete in next week’s individual finals.