"I had no idea where I was in the air"- When Simone Biles opened up about her struggles with twisties at the Olympic games

Simone Biles once opened up about her struggles with 'twisties' that led her to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics. The American athlete expressed how she had lost spatial awareness while doing maneuvers during her second consecutive appearance at the quadrennial games.

Biles decided to withdraw from the Olympics right before the team event finals, citing mental health concerns. The withdrawal brought about a lot of mixed reactions on social media with some people extending their support to Biles, while others criticized the gymnast for being a 'quitter'.

Months after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles spoke about the hate she received on social media after her withdrawal, revealing that it had deeply affected her. The Olympic gold medalist mentioned that she had lost awareness while she was airbound during a routine due to 'Twisties'. Biles spoke about the incident in an interview with Today after the conclusion of the Tokyo Olympics.

"I had no idea where I was in the air. You can literally see it in my eyes in pictures. I was petrified," she said.

Furthermore, she opened up about being heartbroken about her withdrawal, having worked very hard during the training sessions leading upto the marquee event.

"To do something that I've done forever and just not be able to do it because of everything I've gone through is really crazy because I love this sport so much.I don't think people understand the magnitude of what I go through, but for so many years to go through everything that I've gone through having a front, I'm proud of myself," she added.

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Simone Biles on being an advocate for mental health

Simone Biles makes an appearance during the match between the New England Patriots and the Chicago Bears - Source: Getty

Simone Biles has long been vocal about her struggles and has advocated for the importance of mental health for athletes. The American gymnast stated that sharing her experiences gave other athletes the opportunity to come forward and discuss their own, which can in turn motivate those facing similar challenges.

Furthermore, Biles expressed how she was inspired by listening to the stories of other survivors and it motivated her to keep working towards the nobel cause.

"To go through something like that and to be a voice for all of the survivors and people who want to come forward and talk about their stories, it's really inspiring. But it's hard that I have to go through it, because again people form their own opinions and I don't really get to say what's going on," she said.

The American gymnast expressed how it is important to be open about such vulnerable conversations so that athletes can feel supported and continue to pursue their goals of achieving greatness in their sport.