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| Simone Biles of the United States in action during the floor exercise wearing a protective face mask at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo, Aug. 2. Reuters-Yonhap |
Star gymnast Simone Biles will compete in Tuesday’s balance beam final at the Tokyo Olympics, her final event in the Summer Games.Biles’ return to the competition comes after she withdrew from several events during these Games citing mental health issues.USA Gymnastics made the announcement Monday on Twitter, stating that Biles will be competing in the event alongside her U.S. teammate Suni Lee.“We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow ― Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can’t wait to watch you both,” the organization said.Biles last week first withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics competition following her first rotation on the vault.The next day, USA Gymnastics said she would not be competing in the individual all-around gymnastics final, an event she earned a gold medal in during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games, due to mental health concerns. Teammate Suni Lee would go onto to win gold in the event last week.Biles then withdrew from the vault, uneven bars and floor exercise finals.She has said that physically she feels fine but that the issue has been her mental health.On Instagram prior to withdrawing from the events, she said she feels the weight of the world on her shoulders.
“I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard,” she wrote.Following an outpouring of support, Biles released a statement on Twitter saying it has mad her realize that “I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics, which I never truly believed before.”Biles has won six Olympic medals in her two appearances that the Games, including four gold.
(UPI)
Simone Biles to compete in balance beam
Source: Buhay Kapa PH
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