"Mentally it affects all of the athletes"- Simone Biles opens up on withdrawal Skye Blakely, Shilese Jones & Kayla Dicello at the U.S Olympic Trials 

Simone Biles spoke about the injuries that caused multiple gymnasts to withdraw from the U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials. The American gymnast revealed how such heartbreaking withdrawals before the major event profoundly impacted other gymnasts and mounted the pressure before they took center stage.

Biles competed in the U.S. Olympic trials to qualify for her third consecutive Olympic games. The 27-year-old was aiming for a comeback in the Olympics after withdrawing from the previous edition of the quadrennial games in Tokyo. Fans on social media termed her appearance 'redemption'.

The U.S. gymnastics trials witnessed several gymnasts withdraw ahead of the commencement of the event. Skye Blakely suffered a major injury during podium training sessions ahead of the trials due to which she had to be carried off the mat. Kayla Dicello suffered an Achilles injury while training on the vault and it was followed by Shilese Jones who withdrew after the warm-up session.

Simone Biles spoke about competing at the U.S Olympic Gymnastics Trials amid witnessing her fellow gymnasts suffer injuries ahead of the competition. The American spoke about the situation in her Netflix documentary series 'Simone Biles: Rising' and revealed how it had a profound impact on the competing athletes adding to the nerves of competition.

"It is so sad seeing a teammate go down. Mentally, it affects all of the athletes. Whenever something like this happens you're so terrified. An injury can happen to any of us at any point. So we get a little bit wary once that happens. Most of us are going to start to overthink most of the logistics we never think about," she said.

Simone Biles on overcoming mental hurdles while competing in major events

Simone Biles while competing in Gymnastics during the Paris 2024 Olympics. - Source: Getty

Simone Biles spoke about handling mental hurdles while competing in major events. The American gymnast revealed how it is important to balance both physical and mental health to be able to put forward her best performance.

“We have to protect our body and our mind. It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head. Whenever you get in a high-stress situation, you kind of freak out. I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but sometimes it’s hard, hahaha! The Olympics is no joke," she said.

Further, Biles believes in using her platform to advocate for mental health by being vocal about her struggles to help other athletes facing similar issues.