"I’m still scared to do gymnastics"- When Simone Biles opened up about returning to the sport after heartbreaking withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics 

Simone Biles once opened up about having the fear of returning to gymnastics after withdrawing from the Tokyo Olympics. The American athlete suffered 'twisties' at the quadrennial games in the Japanese capital, which eventually led her to make the hard decision of withdrawing from the team finals and from all the other events she was scheduled to compete in.

Twisties is a condition in which a gymnast loses spatial awareness while attempting a skill. There are a variety of reasons why this condition arises which include stress and nervousness before the performance which leads to a disconnect between the mind and the gymnast's body.

Biles' withdrawal from tthe Tokyo Olympics led to a lot of backlash among fans on social media. However, the gymnast was clear on her stance to give priority to her mental health. Simone Biles spoke about the impact of Twisties in an appearance on the Today a year after the Tokyo Olympics, stating that the fear of Twisties still affected her.

"The twisting once I got back will come back, but I’m still scared to do gymnastics. 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.It’s hard. I’m sorry. And 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 said.

Simone Biles opens up about her thoughts after Tokyo Olympcis withdrawal

Simone Biles prepares to compete in the balance beam final during the Paris 2024 Olympics. - Source: Getty

Simone Biles spoke in detail about her thoughts after her Tokyo Olympics withdrawal during her appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast. The American gymnast revealed how she thought that the hate on social media would be unbearable.

“If I could have got on a plane and flown home, I would have done it. As soon as I landed (the vault), I was like, ‘America hates me, the world is going to hate me, and I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now. That was my first thought. I thought I was going to be banned from America. Because that’s what they tell you, ‘Don’t come back if it’s not gold. Gold or bust – don’t come back."

Despite receiving a lot of hate on social media after her withdrawal, the most decorated gymnast of all time managed to endure it due to the support of her husband and family during tough times. This incident further gave her the motivation to return to the mat once again at the Paris Olympics in an appearance that fans termed as 'redemption'.