American gymnastics champion Simone Biles will not participate in the all-around individual final of the Tokyo 2020 Games “to focus on her mental health“: her federation, USA Gymnastics, has announced it. The 24-year-old four-time Olympian in Rio 2016 withdrew from the team final on Tuesday after a mistake in the vault, but her participation in tomorrow’s individual competition was not excluded.
“After further medical evaluation, Simon Biles withdrew from the last individual competition,” his federation said. “We wholeheartedly support Simon’s decision and applaud his courage in prioritizing his well-being. His courage shows, once again, why he is a model for so many ». The 24-year-old from Ohio was looking to become the first woman to win consecutive all-around titles at the Games after Czechoslovakia’s Vera Caslavska in 1964 and 1968.