Is Simone Biles out of the Olympics?
Biles has not yet decided whether or not to compete in the Olympics. She will not compete in the individual all-around final on Thursday, however. This was confirmed by USA Gymnastics, which reiterated its “unwavering support” for Biles.
After finishing tenth in qualification, Jade Carey will take Biles’ position in the all-around competition.
Biles was optimistic that she would be able to compete in the individual event finals following the team final. She did not, however, promise to competing in the other events at the 2021 Olympics.
“We’ll see,” she answered when asked about her future plans.
Why did Simone Biles withdraw?
During the competition, it was noted that Biles withdrew as a result of a “medical issue.” Afterward, she noted that the medical issue she was dealing with was, indeed, a mental one.
“Once I came out here, I was like, no, the mental is not there,” Biles said.
After bailing out of her vault, Biles was worried about her performance. Above all else, she wanted to make sure she didn’t hurt herself in competition.
“But at the end of the day it’s like, we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher,” she told reporters, per Slate. “I just don’t trust myself as much as I used to. And I don’t know if it’s age — I’m a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I’m also not having as much fun, and I know that.”
As a result, Biles made the decision to withdraw and let her teammates take charge of the team event.
“I felt like it would be better to take a back seat,” Biles said. “I didn’t want to risk the team a medal because they worked way too hard for my screw-ups.”
Simone Biles Olympic schedule
Biles was supposed to compete in all six gymnastics finals, including the team, all-around, vault, uneven bars, floor, and balance beam. She has withdrawn from the all-around competition, and her participation in the last four team event finals is still up in the air.
| Date | Event | Time (ET) | Channel |
| Sun, July 25 | Women’s Qualifying | 6-11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Tue, July 27 | Women’s Team Final | 6-11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Thu, July 29 | Women’s All-Around | 6-11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Sun, Aug. 1 | Event Finals — Vault and Uneven Bars | 4-11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Mon, Aug. 2 | Event Finals — Floor Exercise | 4-11 a.m. | Peacock |
| Tue, Aug. 3 | Event Finals — Balance Beam | 4-11 a.m. | Peacock |
Simone Biles medal count
1 medal (silver)
Despite withdrawing from the team competition, Biles was awarded a silver medal for her performance in one event. She has already won six Olympic medals, including her first silver. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won four gold medals and one bronze.