Olympics in shock after devastating new Simone Biles announcement
Fans have been left devastated after gymnastics legend Simone Biles withdrew from the final all-round individual event at the Tokyo Olympics.
Earlier, Biles revealed she was battling mental demons when she abruptly withdrew from the women's gymnastics team final after just one vault on Tuesday night.
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The American star's bid for a record six gold medals at the Tokyo Games ended in shock fashion when she dropped out of the women's team final and watched as the United States surrendered their title to Russia.
But in a further development on Wednesday afternoon, the greatest gymnast of all-time withdrew from the final all-round individual event at the Tokyo Olympics to work on her mental health.
The US Gymnastics team released a statement, which claimed they 'wholeheartedly' supported Biles and would take it one day at a time before deciding on whether she would compete in the individual event finals.
After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition.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. pic.twitter.com/6ILdtSQF7o
— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 28, 2021
The Olympic community were quick to throw their support behind Biles for the 'brave' decision.
All my support to @Simone_Biles. Mental health is a key component of our health, and it MUST be a priority always. We need the sports world to focus on emotional and mental well-being a lot more.
Thank you for using your platform, you are a true champion! #MentalHealth pic.twitter.com/4Ym3E9VAEf— Pau Gasol (@paugasol) July 28, 2021
Anyone mad at Simone Biles needs to get a life
— Rey Mashayekhi (@reym12) July 28, 2021
Simone Biles is still the greatest in my eyes. It takes a lot to pull yourself out of competition but mental health definitely comes first and I’m glad she recognized she needed to sit out. It doesn’t make her any less of a person or gymnast 💪🏼 @Simone_Biles
— Ashley Salzman (@AshleySalzman1) July 28, 2021
Going to bed thinking about @Simone_Biles saying, “We hope America still loves us.”
Goodness.
We more than love you. We adore you. We cherish you. We admire you. We feel for you. We are rooting for you.
Thanks for taking care of yourself. We all need that example.— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) July 28, 2021
Simone Biles stuns Olympics with withdrawal
The entire women's gymnastics team final event was turned on its head in an instant when Biles, the world and Olympic all-around champion, completely mistimed her opening vault to earn a low score of 13.766.
After the event, Biles met with the media and spoke about her struggles.
"After the performance I did I just didn't want to go on," said Biles, fighting back tears as she met with the media.
"We are going to see about Thursday. I'm just trying to gear up for the next test."
Readers seeking support and information about mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Watch 'Mind Games', the new series from Yahoo Sport Australia exploring the often brutal mental toil elite athletes go through in pursuit of greatness:
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