On Thursday morning (29 July), Simone Biles took to Twitter saying the millions of support messages have shown her that her impact goes far beyond the glittering gymnastics performances she has put on for nearly a decade at the top of her sport.
“The outpouring [of] love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which, I never truly believed before,” the post read.
Support for Biles has come from the likes former First Lady Michelle Obama, who tweeted, “Am I good enough? Yes, I am. The mantra I practice daily. @Simone_Biles, we are proud of you and we are rooting for you,” and 2018 Olympic team bronze medallist Adam Rippon, who said, in part, “I can’t imagine the pressure Simone has been feeling. Sending her SO much love. It easy to forget she’s still human.”
“The outpouring [of] love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which, I never truly believed before,” the post read.
Simone Biles, Gymnast Olympics 2020
Wednesday, USA Gymnastics announced that she would not participate in the women’s all-around final.
Simone Biles who withdrew from the finals at Olympics 2020 got tremendous support from her fans and admirers
“After a further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health,” a statement from the governing body read. “Simone will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether or not to participate in next week’s individual event finals.”
Biles has qualified to all four of the apparatus finals at Tokyo 2020, schedule for 1-3 August.