After attempting her first skill at the womenâs gymnastics team event, Simone Biles knew something was wrong. The 24-year-old gymnastics champion had attempted 2 Âœ twisting vault but soon withdrew from the team events and later the all-arounds, citing issues with her mental health.Â
Biles told reporters that she âhad no idea where I was in the airâ and that she was âhaving a little bit of the twisties.âÂ
The âtwistiesâ is a condition that is well-known in the gymnastics world but those of us who arenât four-time Olympic gold medalists like Biles may not be familiar with what it is or how serious it can be.Â
The twisties occur when a gymnast loses their place in the air, putting them at risk for injuring themselves when they land. Simone explained that she was experiencing it and âcould have hurt myself.â
Biles took to her Instagram stories to explain what she'd been dealing with in her own words.
Carly Patterson, gymnastics gold medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics told People a little more about what a gymnast experiences if they have the twisties.Â
âYou basically start losing that air awareness,â Patterson said. âIt is very, very scary, especially when youâre doing that difficult kind of skill that Simone is doing. [You] have no clue when youâre going to hit the ground and how youâre going to hit the ground.â
Biles talked about experiencing the twisties at other points in her career and as Patterson explained to People, you canât plan for them to happen, they just do.Â
âUnfortunately it happened at the Olympic Games, it didnât happen three months ago when she could fix it, work those kinks out, work that mental block out,â Patterson said. âYou canât do that in 24 hours, when youâre at the Olympic Games, and rework your brain through that to really overcome it in such a short time.âÂ
The team went on to win the silver medal, Biles acknowledging her teammates who âstepped up when I couldnât.â Biles also acknowledged the âoutpouring of loveâ in a tweet.
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