Simone Biles Pulls Out Of Tokyo Olympics For Good, Cites Mental Health Reasons

It’s been an emotional 24+ hours for Simone Biles and the U.S. Women’s Gymnastics team.

The gold medalist has officially decided to pull out of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The Blast reported on Tuesday, July 27, that Simone had suffered an injury during her routine on the vault, and had to step away from competing in the team finals.

According to NBC, the four-time gold medalist competed in her first rotation on vault on Tuesday; however, after landing, she was spotted walking off of the competition floor with a trainer.

Her teammate, Jordan Chiles, filled in for her on the uneven bars. Biles later returned to the arena wearing warmups.

"Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue," USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Tuesday. "She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."

At this time, Simone was still expected to compete on Thursday, July 29, in the individual all-around competition.

On Monday, July 26, the 24-year-old admitted that she felt like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, and expressed the crippling pressure that comes with being the greatest gymnast of all time.

It all was too much to bear today and Simone withdrew from the individual finals as well.

Early Wednesday morning the official Twitter account for USA Gymnastics issued the following statement, “After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health.”

The statement continued, “Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals. Jade Carey, who had the ninth highest score in qualifications, will participate in her place in the all-around. 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 support for Simone came flooding in from all over the world.

Comedian and TV personality Chelsea Handler tweeted, “I support Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka— their right to choose what’s best for them is courageous and respectable. And if someone has a problem with it (Megyn Kelly), I have a good indica to recommend, it’ll calm you down.”

Former First Lady Michelle Obama sent Simone these kind words, “We are proud of you and we are rooting for you.”

Mental Health America’s official Twitter account showed their support for Simone, “We 👏 love 👏 to 👏 see👏 it.👏 #GOAT #SimoneBiles.”

Many others expressed the fact that she is the greatest of all time, and should take the time to take care of herself.

The Blast will keep you updated on further Simone Biles and Olympic coverage as more information becomes available.