Simone Biles, the decorated gymnast, recently opened up about her mental struggles during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In an episode of the “Call Her Daddy” podcast, she revealed that she thought the world would hate her for withdrawing from competition and stepping back from her dream of winning gold. The “twisties,” a disconnect between a gymnast’s mind and body, made it difficult for Biles to execute moves and led her to make the tough decision to step back from competing.
When Biles realized she had the “twisties,” she felt as though she would be heavily criticized by her home country, the United States. She described feeling like America hated her and feared that she would be banned from returning if she did not win gold. Despite these fears, Biles ultimately made the difficult decision to step back from competition, paving the way for her replacement, Jordan Chiles, in the team event in which the U.S. won silver.
Biles went on to win a bronze medal in the balance beam before taking a break from gymnastics. She compared the experience of the “twisties” to other athletes’ struggles, such as the “yips” in baseball or suddenly forgetting how to drive a car. Biles expressed the feeling of losing control over her body and mind, leading her to make the tough decision to stop competing in