After Simone Biles exited the team final and individual all-around final at the Olympics earlier this week, USA Gymnastics has announced she will withdraw from the event finals for the vault and uneven bars at Tokyo.
In a series of Instagram Stories Friday, Biles explained she is currently experiencing "the twisties," which usually take about two weeks for her to get over. Biles emphasized that her "mind and body" are out of sync.
The six-time Olympic medalist has received support from around the world for choosing to prioritize her mental and physical health. On Wednesday Biles took to Twitter to thank those who have shown their support.
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Now that Biles has officially withdrawn from both vault and uneven bars, two other gymnasts will now have a chance at Olympic gold.
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Who will replace Simone Biles in vault?
MyKayla Skinner, an American who was competing as an individual, will get Biles' spot in the vault final. She had the fourth-best score in qualifying but did not advance to the eight-woman final because only two athletes from any country are allowed in the final. Now that Biles has officially withdrawn, Skinner and Jade Carey will represent Team USA.
Skinner has a chance to turn what was a disappointing trip to Tokyo into an incredible Olympic story. She participated in the qualifying round at the Tokyo Olympics as an individual competitor rather than in a team event. Needing a top-eight finish to continue in the Games, she placed 10th, seemingly ending her time in Tokyo.
Skinner will now replace Simone Biles in the vault final on Sunday with a chance to claim another Olympic medal for Team USA.
Who will replace Simone Biles in uneven bars?
Melanie de Jesus Dos Santos of France will replace Biles. Two Russians scored higher than she did but cannot advance because two of their teammates qualified ahead of them.
De Jesus Dos Santos is a three-time French national all-around champion and the 2019 European all-around champion.
