"Lot of people betrayed her" - Simone Biles' sister Adria makes her feelings known about gymnast's dramatic Tokyo Olympic withdrawal

Simone Biles' sister Adria Biles' has claimed that fans betrayed the gymnast following her withdrawal from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The American gymnast suffered from Twisties, a mental health block where gymnasts lose the sense of their presence in the air.

Biles was the second most decorated gymnast in history before the Tokyo Olympics and the favorite to win. However, when Twisties arrived, and she chose her safety over the medals in the Japanese capital, the 27-year-old was criticized, both by a large section of fans and media personalities including Piers Morgan.

However, her sister Adria supported her decision and believed the gymnast was betrayed by her fans. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, she said:

"She was always trying to please other people. And a lot of the people she was trying to please betrayed her.”

The 25-year-old further shed light on Simone's tipping point which happened during the team final in Tokyo, stating that it was a case of life and death for her.

“It wasn’t like a panic attack. She’s trying one of the most difficult things in the world and she almost died!” she added

Biles was supposed to do 2.5 twists but she changed to 1.5 mid-air and still landed uncomfortably. The 27-year-old withdrew from all of the finals except balance beam, where she won a bronze medal, and termed it her most important victory.

She would later take a 732-day break from the sport, and since returning to competition at the 2023 U.S. Classic, Biles has been back to her dominant best and was recently named SI's Sportsperson of the Year for 2024.

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Simone Biles hints at retiring before the 2028 LA Olympics

Celebrities Attend The 2024 US Open Tennis Championships - Simone Biles in attendance- (Source: Getty)

Simone Biles had initially planned to retire after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, the unfortunate incident led her to delay it, and featured at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Biles won four medals including three golds in Paris and became the oldest gymnast in 75 years to win the all-around Olympic title. The 27-year-old is now the most decorated and arguably the greatest in history, and believes she has nothing left to achieve now in the sport, so retirement could well be imminent.

"I’ve accomplished so much, there’s almost nothing left to do, rather than to just be snobby and to try again and for what? I’m at a point in my career where I’m humble enough to know when to be done.

"If you go back (to 2028 LA Olympics), you’ll be greedy. Those are the consequences. But that’s also your decision to decide. What sacrifices would be made if I go back now? When you’re younger, it’s like, prom, college. Now it’s like, starting a family, being away from my husband. What’s really worth it?” Simone Biles told Sports Illustrated.

The 11-time Olympic champion is planning to go on vacations with her husband Jonathan Owens after the NFL season ends, and while she hasn't ruled out an appearance at the 2025 World Championships, she hasn't guaranteed her presence either.