Three years ago, the sports world saw something amazing. At the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the greatest gymnast of all time did something incredible.
Simone Biles wasn’t just having a bad day. She was facing the “twisties” – a scary situation where her mind and body didn’t work together in the air. Instead of ignoring it, she made a bold choice.
Her decision to step away from team and individual finals wasn’t a failure. It was a powerful lesson in knowing oneself. It changed how we see athletes.
We thought athletes should be emotionless. Biles looked at that idea and said, “Let’s change this whole story.”
Her choice turned a personal struggle into a worldwide talk about mental health in high-stress situations. She didn’t just leave the podium – she opened a door the sports world had been avoiding.
Sometimes the bravest thing isn’t landing perfectly. It’s knowing when to take a step back from the edge.
Why She Withdrew
Imagine your brain and body having a bitter divorce while you’re flying through the air. That’s what Simone Biles faced in Tokyo. She had a condition called “the twisties,” where her spatial awareness was gone when she needed it most.
This wasn’t about her physical skills. The woman who’s redefined gravity could probably stick a landing blindfolded. But she was facing a neurological problem. It was like trying to solve advanced calculus while free-falling from 15 feet.
Hours before competition, she said, “I was just like shaking, could barely nap. I’ve never felt like this going into a competition before.” The greatest gymnast of all time was experiencing a complete disconnect between her mind and muscle memory.
The twisties were just a symptom, not the disease. Simone Biles was carrying the weight of an organization that failed to protect athletes. She was also under pressure from being NBC’s promotional centerpiece and being Simone Biles.
“I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second-guessing myself,” Biles explained. “So, I thought it would be better if I took a step back and let these girls go out there and do their job.” This wasn’t weakness – it was strategic brilliance. Recognizing when the mental software has crashed and needing to reboot.
The real question isn’t why Simone Biles withdrew, but how she competed as long as she did. She wasn’t just battling spatial awareness issues; she was carrying the entire gymnastics community’s mental health conversation on her shoulders while attempting to stick landings.
Her decision to step back opened the door for the ROC team’s gold medal. But it also opened a global conversation about what we really expect from our athletes. We demand superhuman performance while giving very human support systems. The math, as they say, doesn’t math.
Biles’ withdrawal wasn’t a failure – it was a masterclass in self-awareness. In a world that celebrates “powering through,” she chose strategic retreat. The twisties were just the final straw in a haystack of pressures that would break most mortals. That she recognized this mid-competition? That’s champion-level mental gymnastics right there.
Athlete/Mentor Reaction
One gymnast’s brave words shook the sports world. They challenged the old rule of keeping quiet about struggles. The athletes’ community showed support and relief, glad someone spoke up.
Jade Carey’s words were like a bombshell: “After Tokyo, and Simone using her voice about mental health…it really made us realise that we’re not just robots out there in gymnastics.” It was a wake-up call, showing we’re more than machines.
Ellie Black of Canada shared her thoughts clearly: “Having Simone come forward and use her platform in Tokyo I think was really powerful. As athletes, I think we’re just looked at as kind of like machines or you can handle anything or you should be able to handle anything.” The idea of athletes as machines is real.
Jordan Chiles talked about feeling invincible at 21: “I did try a sports psychologist when I was younger, but you have that young mindset, you’re like, ‘No, I can do everything on my own. I’m fine.'” We’ve all felt like we can handle anything, until we can’t.
The table below shows how athlete perspectives shifted post-Tokyo, revealing a fundamental change in how mental health is viewed in elite sports:
| Athlete | Pre-Tokyo Mindset | Post-Tokyo Realization | Impact Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jade Carey | Performance-focused | Human first, athlete second | High |
| Ellie Black | Four-time Olympian pressure | Machine metaphor breakdown | Extreme |
| Jordan Chiles | Young invincibility complex | Psychology acceptance | Medium-High |
| General Athlete Community | Suffer in silence culture | Permission to be human | Revolutionary |
This wasn’t just about one athlete’s choice. It was about giving a whole generation permission to value their mental health. The Olympics will never be the same. And that’s the best medal we could give the sports world.
Sport and Media Coverage
The media circus around Biles’ decision was a fascinating study in sports journalism. Suddenly, everyone from She-Ra voice actors to sitcom stars became armchair psychologists. They thought they were experts just because they were famous.
Supporters compared her to Naomi Osaka’s stand. Critics, on the other hand, made hot takes about “quitting” and “letting the team down.” They seemed to think risking serious injury was okay for our entertainment.
Adria Biles, Simone’s sister, hit back at critics. She said, “y’all are all about mental health until it no longer benefits you.” That sentence should be on every sports commentary desk.
The narrative shifted from “what’s wrong with Biles?” to “what’s wrong with a system that creates these conditions?” It was a step forward, realizing our problems are deep.
Celebrities showed real support for Biles. “2 Broke Girls” alum Beth Behrs said, “I wish I’d had the strength in my 20s to prioritize my mental health.” Actress Aimee Carrero tweeted, “Simone Biles deserves rest and us to leave her the f— in peace.”
The coverage showed how we view athletes’ humanity. Some saw courage. Others saw weakness. The truth? She taught us all about putting mental health first.
Positive Change for Athlete Wellness
What changed after Tokyo? Everything and nothing. Therapy sessions became as standard as warm-ups. Mental health days stopped being secret shame. They started being strategic necessities.
Simone Biles’ journey to the Paris Olympics became a case study. It showed what happens when you treat athletes like whole humans. Not like performance machines. The most revolutionary concept? Mental health work isn’t about “fixing” someone. It’s about optimizing an entire system.
Biles told Olympics.com about her struggle. “The hardest part is logging on to my therapy sessions.” Jordan Carey had a tough 2023 season. She found help through talking to someone. Having an extra person in her corner made all the difference.
Biles reflected on her mental health journey. “I wish I knew pre-Tokyo that everybody’s journey is different.” Your path may not look like your friends’ or your spouse’s. That might be the most important thing any athlete has said about performance.
The real victory wasn’t the medals in Paris. It was the cultural shift that made those medals possible. Without breaking the humans winning them. Sometimes “doing it” means knowing when not to.
