Simone Biles pulls out of women’s gymnastics team final, US takes silver

TOKYO — Simone Biles withdrew Tuesday from the women’s gymnastics team final at the Tokyo Olympics for what USA Gymnastics described as “a medical issue.”

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In a statement, the U.S. governing body of gymnastics said, “She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.”

The 24-year-old later said she realized that she wasn’t “in the right headspace” to compete Tuesday following a shaky vault, The Associated Press reported.

“I didn’t want to go into any of the other events second-guessing myself,” Biles said. “So I thought it would be better if I took a step back and let these girls go out there and do their job.”

It was not immediately clear whether she would compete as planned in Thursday’s women’s individual all-around gymnastics competition.

“We’re going to see about Thursday,” she said, according to The Washington Post. “We’re going to take it a day at a time. I know tomorrow we have a little bit of a break for training, so that’ll be really nice to have a mental rest day. And then injury, no. Just my pride is hurt a little bit.”

The U.S. finished the team gymnastics event in second to win the silver medal with a score of 166.096. The Russian Olympic Committee team took gold with a score of 169.528, while Great Britain won bronze.

Biles pulled out of Tuesday’s competition shortly after the U.S. women completed their first rotation on vault. According to the AP, the gymnast bailed on the vault she had planned to perform, an Amanar, and hopped on the landing.

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US women compete in gymnastics team final Simone Biles, of the United States, performs on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Biles appeared to have an injury and was seen with her trainer before leaving the floor with the team’s doctor following the routine, according to the AP. When she returned on the sidelines, her leg was wrapped, the report said.

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Simone Biles drops from team competition Simone Biles, of the United States, enters the court for the artistic gymnastics women's final at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 27, 2021, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull) (Gregory Bull/AP)

On Sunday, the U.S. women finished in second place, behind the Russian Olympic Committee, in the qualifying round. Biles took to Instagram the next day, saying she feels like she has “the weight of the world” on her shoulders.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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