<h2 class="ql-align-center"><em><span class="ql-cursor">﻿</span>I have to focus on my mental health. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.</em></h2>

<h2 class="caption">"I have to focus on my mental health. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do," said Biles after her shock withdrawal from the women's team final at the Olympics on Tuesday. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+</h2><figure><picture data-testid="picture"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(webp):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 699px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(webp):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 700px) and (max-width: 1023px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(webp):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1024px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/jpeg" media="(max-width: 699px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 700px) and (max-width: 1023px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" type="image/jpeg" media="(min-width: 1024px)"><img src="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/1200x0/filters:format(jpeg):focal(1064x467:1066x465)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2021/07/27/3184139-65238048-2560-1440.jpg" alt="Simone Biles looks on after pulling out of the womens team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics" width="785" height="442"></picture></figure><p>Simone Biles looks on after pulling out of the womens team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics</p><p>Image credit: Getty Images</p><picture data-testid="picture"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(webp):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 699px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(webp):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 700px) and (max-width: 1023px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(webp):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1024px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(png):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/png" media="(max-width: 699px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(png):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/png" media="(min-width: 700px) and (max-width: 1023px)"><source srcset="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(png):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" type="image/png" media="(min-width: 1024px)"><img src="https://imgresizer.eurosport.com/unsafe/40x40/filters:format(png):focal(1195x707:1197x705)/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2015/11/13/1731704-36632306-2560-1440.png" alt="Ben Snowball" width="40" height="40"></picture><div class="caption" data-testid="author-date-information">Published 27/07/2021 at 14:59 GMT</div><div>Simone Biles says she withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final at Tokyo 2020 to protect her mental health, adding that she would take it "a day at a time" before deciding whether to return for the individual events later this week. </div><div dir="ltr">The four-time Olympic champion <a data-testid="atom-textlink" href="https://www.eurosport.com/artistic-gymnastics/tokyo-2020/2021/tokyo-2020-disaster-for-usa-as-simone-biles-pulls-out-of-gymnastics-team-final_sto8446288/story.shtml" dir="ltr">withdrew after her opening vault</a>, which saw her bail out in mid-air and stumble upon landing. </div><div>Biles returned to support her team-mates, who earned a commendable silver behind the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) as Great Britain made a late dart to take bronze. </div><div>The 24-year-old had said prior to competition that the Olympics were weighing heavily on her.</div><div>“Even though it's so big, it's the Olympic Games,” Biles said after Tuesday's final. “But at the end of the day it's like we want to walk out of here, not be dragged out here on a stretcher.</div><div>"I just don't trust myself as much as I used to. And I don't know if it's age - I'm a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I'm also not having as much fun and I know that."</div><div>She added: "I have to focus on my mental health. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do."</div><div>Biles qualified first in the all-around standings ahead of the final on Thursday, while she is also slated to compete in the floor, vault and balance beam finals. </div><div dir="ltr">She follows the path of tennis star Naomi Osaka, who <a data-testid="atom-textlink" href="https://www.eurosport.com/tennis/roland-garros/2021/naomi-osaka-withdraws-from-french-open-after-being-threatened-with-expulsion-at-roland-garros_sto8347558/story.shtml" dir="ltr">pulled out of the French Open in May </a>after she was threatened with expulsion over a press boycott. The Japanese star also endured a difficult day, having bowed out in the women’s singles. </div><div>- - -</div><div dir="ltr">Watch every unmissable moment live from Tokyo 2020 across Eurosport, Eurosport app and <a rel="noopener" data-testid="atom-textlink" href="https://promo.discoveryplus.co.uk/promo/all-sports/discoveryplus-home-of-the-olympics?snb=2&amp;utm_campaign=UK-EU-D1-EU-C7-EU-CAM-DR-W-SummerSports-Olympics-210707-NA&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=eurosport.co.uk&amp;utm_content=story-content-text-subscribe" dir="ltr">discovery+. </a>Download the Eurosport app for iOS and Android now. </div>

Simone Biles says she withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final at Tokyo 2020 to protect her mental health.

sports

Sports

"I have to focus on my mental health. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do," said Biles after her shock withdrawal from the women's team final at the Olympics on Tuesday. You want it? We have it. Stream every Olympic event live on discovery+

<p>Simone Biles looks on after pulling out of the womens team final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics </p>

Tokyo 2020 Olympics – ‘I have to focus on my mental health’ – Simone Biles explains withdrawal

I have to focus on my mental health. We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.

SIMONE BILES

CURATED BY

Related collections

More like this