The American Simone Biles cheers during the final of the women’s team in artistic gymnastics during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Ariake Gymnastics Center in Tokyo on July 27, 2021.
Loic Venance | AFP | Getty Images
Russian gymnasts upset the U.S. Olympic team in Tokyo on Tuesday after American superstar Simone Biles withdrew from the competition.
Biles, the reigning Olympic all-round gold medalist and one of the faces of the American squad in Japan, walked out of the team finals after a disappointing jump with what USA Gymnastics called “a medical problem.” Gallen “is examined daily to determine the medical clearance for future competitions,” said the US Gymnastics Federation.
Biles later told NBC’s “TODAY” that she was “in shape” and feeling “good” physically. She said that as one of the most famous female athletes, she felt increased pressure at the games.
“Emotionally, that kind of time and moment varies,” she said. “You know, coming here to the Olympics and being the main protagonist of the Olympics is not an easy task, so we just try one day at a time and we’ll see.”
The Russian Olympic Committee won the team gold medal with a score of 169,528. The USA took silver with 166,096 silver, while Great Britain took bronze with 164,096.
The Americans haven’t won team gold for the first time since 2008.
Biles left the competition after the jump mistake and went off the floor with a team doctor. She came back to the arena, hugged her teammates, and watched the rest of the competition in her warm-up uniform.
The 2016 all-around gold medalist said she would see on Thursday if she would defend her singles title.
The 24-year-old Biles is considered to be one of the greatest gymnasts in the history of the sport. She won four gold medals at the 2016 Olympics and dominated the world championships with 19 gold medals.
Biles has opened up about mental health issues in the past. In a Facebook video series earlier this month, she said she had been dealing with depression after admitting being a victim of sexual abuse by Larry Nassar, a former doctor at USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University.
He was accused of molesting dozens of girls and women, including Biles and other Olympic gymnasts. Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison in 2018.
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