Simone Biles, one of the US’s most renowned athletes, has pulled out of the Olympic gymnastics finals after completing her first vault on Tuesday.
The three remaining gymnasts in the women’s squad continued despite being a member down, although Biles did turn up to cheer for them. The team finished in second place behind Russia, with Great Britain in third.
“I don’t trust myself as much as I used to,” Biles said. “I don’t know if it’s age and I’m a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun. This Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself but I came in and I felt like I was still doing it for other people. It hurts my heart that doing what I love has been kind of taken away from me to please other people.”
Before leaving the competition, Biles had qualified for six Olympic finals. Nevertheless, she has said that her coaches were in full support of her decision. She added that she hopes speaking out about her mental health will have a greater impact on athletics than winning several gold medals.
Biles has received counselling since the abuse of US gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar was uncovered.