Simone Biles Will Return to Compete For Balance Beam Finals

When Simone Biles got a case of the “twisties,” nobody knew if she would compete during the 2020 Olympics. Her teammates stepped up and filled in for her, in some cases taking home gold. Throughout the competition, Biles has been seen cheering on her teammates from the sidelines.

According to USA Gymnastics, Biles was being evaluated every day, and the decision about whether or not she would compete was a day by day decision. Today, the decision is that she will compete in the balance beam finals.

 

Some people have criticized Biles for deciding not to compete and claiming it’s due to mental health. Other people defended her, explaining what she’s experiencing is called the “twisties,” which is a term gymnasts use to describe a sense of being lost in the air. Considering Olympic gymnasts perform many skills that involve twisting in the air, if a gymnast has the twisties it can be very dangerous because she may not land on her feet.

Biles explained in an Instagram post, “Honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind & body in sync. 10/10 do not recommend.” She added, “I don’t think you realize how dangerous this is on hard/competition surface. Sometimes I can’t even fathom twisting. I seriously cannot comprehend how to twist.”

On Twitter, some followers are concerned about Biles, worried that she’s returning to competition too soon and that she’s only deciding to compete because she feels pressure to do so.

 

Others explain that balance beam involves less twisting and is probably a safer event for her right now.

Are you surprised that Simone Biles will be competing on the balance beam at the Tokyo Olympics? Do you think it’s safe for her to compete? Do you think she might change her mind? Do you think she will win gold?