LONDON, (SATSports) – American artistic gymnast Simone Biles is set to compete in the balance beam final on Tuesday.
The USA Gymnastics confirmed this on Monday, saying, “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 balance beam final is the last medal round for women’s artistic gymnastics at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Biles on July 27 withdrew from the team final competition due to a medical issue.
After blocking off the vaulting table, the 24-year-old appeared to get lost in the air, opening out after doing just one-and-a-half of her planned two-and-a-half twists. The same error occurred in competition, as Biles, the reigning Olympic champion in the event, scored just 13.733.
The American gymnast however took her story to Instagram on Friday to detail her struggles in training with the ‘twisties’, a gymnastics term used to illustrate when a gymnast’s body and mind seemingly stops working together.
“My mind and body are simply not in sync,” Biles wrote in one of her story slides. “For anyone saying I quit. I didn’t quit.”
Biles explained she had previously suffered from the phenomenon but only on floor and vault. Tokyo is the first time they have bled into other events.
“They’re not fun to deal with,” she said. “It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill… not having your mind and body in sync.”
