Simone Biles has withdrawn from Monday's Olympic floor final, USA Gymnastics confirmed, leaving the American with just one more shot at individual gold at the Tokyo Games.
Biles, the four-time Olympic champion widely considered to have elevated the sport to new heights, has said she is struggling with mental health issues and wants to focus on her mental and physical wellbeing.
USAG confirmed Biles' withdrawal on Sunday and said there was no decision on whether the 24-year-old Texan would take part in the beam final.
"Simone has withdrawn from the event final for floor and will make a decision on beam later this week. Either way, we're all behind you, Simone," USAG tweeted.
Biles arrived in Tokyo already regarded as one of the sport's all-time greats and targeting a record haul of six gold medals, including beating the mark of five individual golds at a single Olympics by a woman gymnast.
She dramatically withdrew during her first event, the women's team competition, last Tuesday, after one vault, saying she needed to focus on her mental health.
Biles then skipped her all-around title defence and on Saturday it was announced she was dropping the vault and uneven bars after consulting with medics. She has confessed to struggling to overcome a severe bout of the "twisties", a condition where gymnasts lose the ability to orientate themselves in mid-air.
"It's honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind & body in sync," Biles wrote on Instagram on Friday, adding that while usually she only suffered from the condition on floor and vault, they were now hitting her on everything.
"It's never transferred to bars & beam before for me, it strictly likes floor and vault. Go figure, the scariest two.
"But this time it's on literally every event. Which sucks... really bad."
Biles has been remarkably candid about her struggles with mental health during the Games in regular posts on her social media accounts and has received widespread support from fellow athletes and celebrities.
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US coach Laurent Landi comforts Simone Biles after she exited the team final at the Tokyo Games on Tuesday, July 27, 2021. -
Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Simone Biles of Team United States cheer as they head to floor exercise during the women's team final. -
Simone Biles of Team United States is embraced by coach Cecile Landi. -
USA's Simone Biles is seen prior to the vault event of the artistic gymnastics women's team final. -
USA's Simone Biles talks to teammates during the artistic gymnastics women's team final. -
USA's Simone Biles and teammates react during the vault event of the artistic gymnastics women's team final. -
Simone Biles of Team United States stumbles upon landing after competing in vault during the women's team final. -
USA's Simone Biles speaks with her teammates during the artistic gymnastics women's team final.
