Simone Biles opened up about the “twisties” condition that she said led her to withdrawal from the gymnastics events during the Tokyo Olympics. She shared videos of it occurring, showcasing how her “mind and body are simply not in sync.”
The “twisties” cause a gymnast to lose a sense of where they are in the air and often lead to dangerous landings.
Biles officially withdrew from the all-around gymnastics final and cited “mental health” as the reason. This led to widespread support from fans, athletes and Olympians such as Micheal Phelps. While there was support for Biles, there was also plenty of outspoken criticism. She addressed her critics during a Q&A with fans early Friday morning on Instagram.
“For anyone saying I quit, I didn’t quit,” she posted. “My mind and body aren’t in sync as you can see here.”
“I didn’t have a bad performance and quit. I’ve had plenty of bad performances throughout my career and finished the competition. I simply got so lost my safety was at risk as well as a team medal. Therefore, the girls stepped up and killed the rest of the competition and won silver. QUEENS!!!”
Biles explained how she was feeling and that it started happening when it was too late for an alternate. “No this was not happening before I left USA,” she told fans. “It randomly started happening after the prelims competition the VERY next morning. By that time NO alternate was not allowed to be placed in my position for all your ‘know it alls.'”
