Tokyo Olympics: Simone Biles to compete in balance beam final

After missing out on three individual events at the Tokyo Olympics, US gymnast Simone Biles is set to compete in the balance beam finals. Biles’ name was present in the list of finalists released on Monday.

Earlier this week, Biles had pulled out of the team all-around final, saying that it was taking a toll on her mental health. In her posts on social media, she has documented her struggles with mental health. She pulled out right after a bad attempt on the vault during the team all-around competition.

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The four-time Olympic champion, who is widely regarded as the greatest of all times in the sport, has also said that she is suffering from ‘twisties’. This is a condition where gymnasts lose the ability to orient themselves while in the air.

Simone had said, “For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit,” she wrote on an Instagram story slide. “My mind and body are simply not in sync.” “I don’t think you realise how dangerous this is on a hard/competitive surface. Nor do I have to explain why I put my health first. Physical health is mental health.”

Tokyo Olympics: Simon Biles’ exit paves way for open discussions on mental health

“Honestly, no telling. Time frame [is] something you have to take literally day-by-day, turn-by-turn.”

The 24-year-old went on to miss three more individual finals. She would have had the opportunity to equal the record of nine gold medals, an all-time Olympic record in gymnastic.

Biles was seen cheering for her team all along even after her withdrawal. People across the US and world supported her decision.