Olympic gymnast Simone Biles will compete in balance beam finals after withdrawal

Simone Biles will compete in Tuesday’s August 3 women’s balance beam final, USA Gymnastics confirmed on Monday, August 2. The balance beam final is the last medal round for women’s artistic gymnastics at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

“We are so excited to confirm that you will see two US athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow – Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!!” read a tweet from the US federation. “Can’t wait to watch you both!”

We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow – Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both!

— USA Gymnastics (@USAGym) August 2, 2021

Biles had qualified to all four of the apparatus finals, scheduled for August 1-3 but eventually withdrew from all but balance beam. Earlier in Tokyo, she withdrew from the team competition after getting lost in midair and from the all-around final entirely to focus on her mental health.

On her Instagram story Friday, Biles detailed her struggles in training with the “twisties,” a gymnastics term for when a gymnast’s body and mind seemingly stop working together.

“My mind and body are simply not in sync,” Biles wrote in one of her story slides. “For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit.”

The 24-year-old also posted now deleted videos showing her getting lost in the air on two attempts at her uneven bars dismount, a double-twisting, double back.

Biles explained she had previously suffered from the phenomenon but only on floor and vault. Tokyo is the first time they have bled into other events.

“They’re not fun to deal with,” she said. “It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill… not having your mind and body in.”

On her IG stories, Simone Biles responds to people who think she “quit” on her team by explaining the “the twisties” she’s been experiencing and what it feels like “not having your mind and body in sync” …. pic.twitter.com/79hN973rkd

— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) July 30, 2021

The world’s most dominant gymnast praised her teammates for winning USA team silver at Tokyo 2020 after admitting that continuing might have cost them a medal. Biles said she was looking forward to a “good mental rest” ahead of deciding whether to take part in further competition at these Games.