Simone Biles Didn’t Drop Events Due to Mental Breakdown
The Claim
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles dropped out of Olympics events because she had a mental breakdown.
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Simone Biles was set to compete in the vault and uneven bars categories in the Tokyo Olympics before deciding to pull herself from the events.
Some insisted that this is clear evidence that Biles had a “mental breakdown.”
Some news websites have also been criticizing her.
Misbar’s Analysis
While mental health issues were a contributor to Biles' decision, the primary reason she dropped out was due to a case of the “twisties.” This, she explained, is a problem that all gymnasts face on occasion.
The “twisties” are when an athlete’s muscle memory is off. For gymnasts, that can be very dangerous. Imagine learning to do a backflip. After practicing for days in a safe spot, you can finally do it. Your body knows what muscles to use and how to coordinate them. Now, you can impress your friends by doing it on hard surfaces. Even though it would hurt to fail, you probably won’t, so it’s fine.
But then, your memory muscle fails you and you don’t backflip properly. It is a confusing and painful mental process. That’s the dilemma that Biles faced, and the reason why she dropped out of those categories. It’s unknown exactly what causes the twisties, but some point to stress as a cause.
Biles didn't drop out of the Olympics entirely. She competed in the balance beam category and earned bronze. The balance beam poses less risk of getting the twisties.
Since Biles stated that much of her reason for dropping out was because of getting the twisties; since focusing on mental health is different that having a “mental break,” and since Biles still competed in the Olympics, we rate this claim as misleading.
