"I just got lost in the air" - When Simone Biles opened up on experiencing twisties that ended her Olympic dream

Simone Biles once opened up about the moment she experienced twisties for the first time. She competed in her second Games at the Tokyo Olympics. She entered the Games as a favorite after her victorious run in Rio, where she collected three gold and one bronze medal.

Before heading to the Games, Biles started experiencing the weight of expectations on her shoulders. She competed at the Tokyo Games, during which she encountered an unfortunate experience, suffering from 'twisties,' a phenomenon in which gymnasts experience a loss of sync between their mind and body when hurtling through the air.

Biles experienced this phenomenon for the first time while practicing on the floor the day after the qualification session. While speaking to nbcolympics.com in August 2021, she reflected on the moment, expressing:

"I just got lost in the air, but thought it was just a "fluke.""

Simone Biles decided to withdraw from the competition after her vault routine. She was supposed to perform a roundoff back handspring onto the table, followed by 2½ twists, but ended up executing only 1½ twists with a big leap forward before landing clumsily.

"I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job" - When Simone Biles revealed the real reason she withdrew from Tokyo Olympics

Simone Biles of the United States during the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France. (Photo via Getty Images)

Simone Biles is arguably considered the Greatest of all Time in the gymnastics realm. Although she could have competed in the remaining events at the Tokyo Games, she gave priority to her teammates. She acknowledged her teammates' efforts in the victory and realized their chances of winning would be higher after her withdrawal.

In an interview with Olympics.com, Biles reflected on the moment she made the important decision.

“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat to work on my mindfulness, and I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job,” Simone Biles explained. “I didn't want to risk the team a medal for kind of my screw-ups because they've worked way too hard for that. So, I just decided that those girls need to go in and do the rest the competition.”

Before her withdrawal from the final events in Tokyo, Biles collected a silver and a bronze medal in team and balance beam events, respectively

Edited by Hitesh Nigam