Biles is in a sport where one wrong move or mental laps, could end with a broken neck or back. She missed an entire rotation on a move that was supposed to be 2.5 rotations on the vault. She said that her mind could not calculate where she was in the air and she lost count. She is fortunate that she is so naturally talented that her body’s muscle memory took over and she was able to land on her feet, instead if mid rotation.
I love basketball and loved during the Jordan era, as a huge fan. That being said, if he had gotten so messed up mentally, that he could not jump or could not concentrate enough mid dunk, that he forgot what he was doing, he would possibly have taken off.
Biles has been working for this moment for 5 years, if you don’t think it was a painful and serious decision to withdraw, you are mistaken or ignorant. The countless hours she put in, the strain of fighting through covid protocols, her decision to go pro instead of college, announcing that she was a victim of sexual assault and still competing, the media, and the weight of knowing her loss would impact the team, all were outweighed by the mental illness episode that overwhelmed everything. She has earned the right to pull out without being criticized by people who have absolutely nothing to do with US Gymnastics and the sport. Her team is 100% in support of her withdrawal from both team and individual competition, so the fan noise is just useless white noise. She has done enough for the country, it is just fine to put her own needs as a priority.