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Simone Biles Withdraws From The Vault And Uneven Bars Finals At The Olympics

U.S. gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the Tokyo Olympics on July 27, 2021.
Gregory Bull
/
AP
U.S. gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the artistic gymnastics women's final at the Tokyo Olympics on July 27, 2021.

Updated July 30, 2021 at 10:35 PM ET

U.S. superstar gymnast Simone Biles will not compete in the uneven bars or vault individual finals on Sunday, after pulling out of the team and all-around finals to focus on her mental health.

"After further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles has decided to withdraw from the event finals for vault and the uneven bars," USA Gymnastics said. "She will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether to compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam."

Biles has received an outpouring of support after revealing that she did not feel like she was in a place mentally to compete, and was dealing with a dreaded phenomenon known as the "twisties."

She said laterthat the support "has made me realize I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before."

Her withdrawal from the vault opens up a spot for another teammate. U.S. gymnast MyKayla Skinner, an event specialist, will join Jade Carey in the final.

"We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this situation with courage and grace, and all of the athletes who have stepped up during these unexpected circumstances," USA Gymnastics said.

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Merrit Kennedy is a reporter for NPR's News Desk. She covers a broad range of issues, from the latest developments out of the Middle East to science research news.