Simone Biles Returns to Tokyo Olympics to Compete in Balance Beam

Simone Biles is back. USA Gymnastics announced Biles will compete in the final event in women’s Olympic gymnastics: balance beam.

The six-time Olympic medalist was forced to withdraw from the team competition last Tuesday after a single rotation. She was unable to perform her vault and fell a full twist short, landing awkwardly and delivering an uncharacteristically low score.

Biles explained that she was experiencing the “the twisties,” or a lack of air awareness while trying to complete extremely difficult moves.

“I didn’t know where I was in the air,” Biles said.

Biles said that she had been suffering from anxiety, stress and mental health issues heading into Tokyo due to the immense pressure to achieve perfection in every event.

“These Olympic Games, I wanted it to be about myself,” Biles said last week. “And I came in and I felt I was still doing it for other people and it hurts my heart that doing what I love has been taken away from me to please other people.”

“I am not going to lose a medal for this country and these girls because they’ve worked way too hard to have me go out there and lose a medal,”

The United States was still able to win a silver medal with Sunisa Lee, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum handling the rest of the rotations.

Following the event, Biles received an outpouring of support from olympians past and present.

Gymnasts spoke out detailing their own struggles with focus and concentration. Others praised Biles for acknowledging her mental health issues. which was a once-taboo topic for elite athletes.

Biles then decided to withdraw from the all-around, vault, uneven bars and floor exercise competitions at the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental and physical health.

She spent the rest of her time cheering on her teammates as Lee won gold in the all-around event and bronze in the uneven bars event, while McKayla Skinner stepped in for Biles and won silver in the vault event.

Now, Biles will get the chance to perform in front of the world once again, and she has plenty of experience in the balance beam.

If Biles has indeed returned to form, she will contend for a medal. Biles is a three-time World Championships gold medalist on the balance beam and won bronze at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.