"I woke up – lost it"- When Simone Biles opened up about dealing with anxiety and ultimately withdrawing from Olympic appearance

Simone Biles once opened up about dealing with the stress of competing in the Olympics after the COVID-19 pandemic. The American gymnast shared about her hardships that ultimately led her to withdraw from the Olympics.

Biles marched into the Tokyo Olympics as a 19-time world champion and one of the best gymnasts in the world. While fans anticipated an incredible campaign from the star gymnast, Biles had been preparing for the Olympics relentlessly; however, the COVID-19 pandemic had slightly affected her routine, which made her a little apprehensive about competing on the sport's biggest stage.

The American shared that she had been visiting her therapist regularly during the build-up to the quadrennial games; however, she became anxious after landing in Tokyo. Simone Biles played an integral role during the qualifying stages of the team event and announced her withdrawal moments before the commencement of the team finals, citing mental health concerns.

Biles spoke about her withdrawal in a post-match interview and shared about dealing with people's expectations amid undergoing mental health struggles. She recalled her journey as a gymnast and shared that she felt lost during the Tokyo Olympics and was experiencing twisties, which ultimately led her to withdraw from the quadrennial games.

“Say up until you’re 30 years old, you have your complete eyesight (then) one morning, you wake up, you can’t see s**t, but people tell you to go on and do your daily job as if you still have your eyesight. You’d be lost, wouldn’t you? That’s the only thing I can relate it to. I have been doing gymnastics for 18 years. I woke up – lost it. How am I supposed to go on with my day?” she said.

Biles concluded her Tokyo Olympics campaign with a silver medal in the team event and a bronze medal in the balance beam.

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Simone Biles opens up about dealing with the aftermath of her withdrawal

Simone Biles competes in Gymnastics - Artistic - Olympics: Day 4 - Source: Getty

Simone Biles spoke about the aftermath of her withdrawal in an interview with NBC. The American athlete shared that it was a very stressful period for her, and she received mixed reactions from her fans. While some fans were supportive of her decision, some fans called her a 'quitter' and sent hate messages on social media.

Moreover, Biles expressed that it had been a long year for her, considering the uncertainties with the pandemic as well as the stress of competing on the global stage.

“It's been really stressful this Olympic Games. I think just as a whole, not having an audience, there are a lot of different variables going into it, it's been a long week, it's been a long Olympic process, it's been a long year. So just a lot of different variables and I think we're just a little bit too stressed out but we should be out here having fun and sometimes, that's not the case," she said.

The American gymnast shared that despite the stressful environment, she enjoyed her time with her teammates in Tokyo, and it was a great learning experience for her.