Tokyo Olympics: Simone Biles is pulled OUT of gymnastics team finals after shock error on vault

Team USA’s gymnasts lost to Russia in a dramatic team final that saw superstar Simone Biles sensationally pulled out of the competition because of a ‘mental issue’ after just one event – leaving her forced to watch from the sidelines as her teammates suffered an agonizing defeat at the hands of their rivals.    

The 24-year-old – who had been expected to lead the US to gold in the team event – was withdrawn from the lineup after flubbing her vault in the opening minutes of the team final competition in Tokyo on Tuesday, however she has insisted that she will be fit to take part in the individual all-around this Thursday, despite officials stating that she will have to undergo ‘daily assessments’ to determine her competition status. 

Speaking to reporters shortly after her shock withdrawal and the team’s surprising second-place finish, Simone admitted that she is ‘dealing with some things internally’ but she vowed to return to competition for the all-around final, which she was widely expected to win. 

‘I’m OK,’ Simone said. ‘Just dealing with some things internally which will get fixed out in the next couple of days.’ 

When asked whether she planned to take part in the upcoming final on Thursday, she replied simply: ‘Yes.’ 

Shortly after the dramatic error, Simone left the stadium with her trainer and was closely followed by medical staff – sparking fears that she had sustained a serious injury. Moments later, it was announced that she had been pulled out of Team USA’s uneven bars lineup, and shortly after, it was revealed that she had been taken out of the competition altogether. 

According to NBC’s commentators, Simone’s coach confirmed that the athlete had not been injured, explaining that her withdrawal from the final was the result of a ‘mental issue’; USA Gymnastics later released a statement blaming the decision on an unspecified ‘medical’ problem while noting that Simone would be ‘assessed daily’ before the individual finals, which begin on Thursday with the all-around competition.  

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles was pulled out of the team final because of a 'mental issue' following a shock error on vault - leaving her forced to watch from the sidelines as her teammates suffered an agonizing defeat to their Russian rivals

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles was pulled out of the team final because of a ‘mental issue’ following a shock error on vault – leaving her forced to watch from the sidelines as her teammates suffered an agonizing defeat to their Russian rivals

The 24-year-old - who had been expected to lead the US to gold in the team event - was withdrawn from the lineup after flubbing her vault in the opening minutes of the team final competition in Tokyo on Tuesday

The 24-year-old - who had been expected to lead the US to gold in the team event - was withdrawn from the lineup after flubbing her vault in the opening minutes of the team final competition in Tokyo on Tuesday

The 24-year-old – who had been expected to lead the US to gold in the team event – was withdrawn from the lineup after flubbing her vault in the opening minutes of the team final competition in Tokyo on Tuesday

Simone made a very uncharacteristic - and very severe - error during her vault, bailing out of her intended skill mid-way through and only completing one-and-a-half twists instead of two-and-a-half

Simone made a very uncharacteristic – and very severe – error during her vault, bailing out of her intended skill mid-way through and only completing one-and-a-half twists instead of two-and-a-half 

Despite the devastating upset, Simone and her teammates, Jordan Chiles (left), Grace McCallum (center right), and Sunisa Lee (right), were all smiles as they received their silver medals

Despite the devastating upset, Simone and her teammates, Jordan Chiles (left), Grace McCallum (center right), and Sunisa Lee (right), were all smiles as they received their silver medals 

Team USA's rivals from Russia led the competition in the wake of Simone's exit - having qualified to the team final in first place ahead of the US - and the gymnastics GOAT was forced to watch on as they surged to victory over her teammates

Team USA’s rivals from Russia led the competition in the wake of Simone’s exit – having qualified to the team final in first place ahead of the US – and the gymnastics GOAT was forced to watch on as they surged to victory over her teammates 

Simone and her US teammates went into the Olympics as the favorites to win the country's third consecutive team gold - but they suffered a shock defeat to Russia's athletes, who were led by veteran Angelina Melnikova

Simone and her US teammates went into the Olympics as the favorites to win the country’s third consecutive team gold – but they suffered a shock defeat to Russia’s athletes, who were led by veteran Angelina Melnikova

‘Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue,’ the statement said. ‘She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.’ 

The gymnastics legend qualified for all five individual event finals – the all-around, floor exercise, beam, vault, and uneven bars – and she had been hoping to add six more gold medals to her already-impressive tally of Olympic titles. Her dream of leading the team to its third consecutive win has now been dashed, however many still consider her to be the favorite to claim victory in the all-around. 

USAG said that Simone will be 'assessed daily' to determine whether she can compete in the individual event finals - meaning that her Olympics could well come to a very swift and very dramatic end, dashing her hopes of adding five more gold medals to her already-impressive tally

USAG said that Simone will be ‘assessed daily’ to determine whether she can compete in the individual event finals – meaning that her Olympics could well come to a very swift and very dramatic end, dashing her hopes of adding five more gold medals to her already-impressive tally

However, Simone’s own feelings about her ability and readiness to take part will not be the only factor taken into consideration and she will need to get the all-clear from USA Gymnastics before she can step out onto the floor for any of the event finals. 

It is not known when USAG will announce whether or not Simone is due to compete.  

The individual women’s all-around competition – which will see the top 24 qualifying gymnasts competing head-to-head – is set to take place on Thursday, while the vault and uneven bars events are scheduled for Sunday, August 1, the floor exercise for Monday, August 2, and the balance beam for Tuesday, August 3.  

News of Simone’s exit from the competition sent shockwaves around the arena – and left commentators stunned, with Today show anchor Hoda Kotb, who is close friends with the gymnast, tearing up as she discussed the news with her co-hosts. 

Following the end of the competition, the 56-year-old led the public outpouring of support for Simone, praising her as a ‘class act’. 

‘Someone said it best. @SimoneBiles already won. She is a class act,’ Hoda wrote on Twitter. ‘Withdrew from team competition after vault… stayed and cheered on her teammates… got them chalk for their hands.. encouraged.. hugged them. She already won. Congrats on the silver medal!’ 

Simone's coach said that the athlete has not been injured, explaining that she had been withdrawal from the final was the result of a 'mental issue', although USA Gymnastics later released a statement blaming the decision on a 'medical issue'

Simone’s coach said that the athlete has not been injured, explaining that she had been withdrawal from the final was the result of a ‘mental issue’, although USA Gymnastics later released a statement blaming the decision on a ‘medical issue’

Simone looked devastated as the news of her withdrawal was announced and she was seen being comforted by one of her coaches, Cecile Landi

Simone looked devastated as the news of her withdrawal was announced and she was seen being comforted by one of her coaches, Cecile Landi

Simone looked devastated as the news of her withdrawal was announced and she was seen being comforted by one of her coaches, Cecile Landi

Dramatic: Shortly after the vault, Simone was seen leaving the floor with a Team USA coach and a member of the medical staff, sparking fears that she had sustained a serious injury

Dramatic: Shortly after the vault, Simone was seen leaving the floor with a Team USA coach and a member of the medical staff, sparking fears that she had sustained a serious injury 

The gymnastics superstar - who is the oldest member of the four-strong team and the only returning Olympian on the squad - stood by to support her fellow athletes as they continued the competition

The gymnastics superstar – who is the oldest member of the four-strong team and the only returning Olympian on the squad – stood by to support her fellow athletes as they continued the competition 

The final women’s team gymnastics standings: US loses out on gold while Russia claims victory – and Britain earns surprise bronze

  1. ROC (169.528)
  2. United States (166.096)
  3. Great Britain (164.096) 
  4. Italy (163.638)
  5. Japan (163.280)
  6. France (163.264)
  7. China (161.196)
  8. Belgium (159.695)

Simone’s former Olympic teammate Laurie Hernandez, who competed alongside her in Rio in 2016 but missed out on a spot at the trials for this year’s Games, also expressed support for the star gymnast, sending her well wishes for a speedy recovery. 

‘At the end of the day, mentally, physically, we just want to make sure that she’s ok,’ Laurie said while helping to provide commentary on the competition. 

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman, who competed with Simone and Laurie in Rio, also weighed in on her former teammate’s shock withdrawal from the competition, telling Today: ‘I feel sick to my stomach; it’s horrible.

‘I’m obviously praying that she’ll be able to compete in the all-around final.’ 

She added: ‘You know, she’s human, and I think sometimes people forget that. And Simone, just like everyone else, is doing the best that she can.’

Meanwhile Mykayla Skinner, who qualified for Tokyo alongside Simone, and competed in the qualifiers, but missed out on any individual event finals, voiced her ‘heartbreak’ over the gymnast’s shock vault error and exit from the team event, saying: ‘My heart broke for her; I can’t imagine what she’s going through.’ 

Speaking about Simone’s shock error on vault, the 24-year-old added: ‘I don’t really know what happened… I’m not sure if she hurt something recently.’ 

Simone, who made history earlier this year when she became the first-ever female gymnast to perform the incredibly risky and complicated Yurchenko double pike vault, stunned spectators when she made a very uncharacteristic error in the team final, bailing out of the skill she had planned to do while in mid-air. 

The gymnastics GOAT was supposed to execute a Yurchenko vault with two-and-a-half twists, but bailed out at the last second and only performed one-and-a-half twists, resulting in a much lower starting score.   

To add insult to injury, Simone’s knees then buckled on the landing, propelling her towards the mat – although she narrowly avoided falling to the ground. 

Her resulting score – 13.766 – is the lowest she has received in years. 

Simone returned to the stadium as the dramatic news of her withdrawal was shared, putting on her tracksuit over her leotard in a move that confirmed her exit from the competition.  

Jordan Chiles then stepped up to the uneven bars to take her place along with Sunisa Lee and Grace McCallum, having already fallen into second place behind rivals Russian Olympic Committee who scored highest on the vault. 

Meanwhile, Simone took on the role of cheerleader, standing alongside her teammates – all of whom are first-time Olympians – providing support and assistance as they competed the final three events without her.  

Simone's teammate and fellow Texan Jordan fell during her floor routine, effectively ending Team USA's chances of winning gold after Russia's athletes all executed clean routines

Simone’s teammate and fellow Texan Jordan fell during her floor routine, effectively ending Team USA’s chances of winning gold after Russia’s athletes all executed clean routines 

The talented 20 year old, who trains with Simone at her home gym in Houston, fell backwards at the end of one of her tumbling passes

The talented 20 year old, who trains with Simone at her home gym in Houston, fell backwards at the end of one of her tumbling passes

The talented 20 year old, who trains with Simone at her home gym in Houston, fell backwards at the end of one of her tumbling passes 

Simone watched on in horror as her team's hopes of winning gold were dashed in the final minutes of the competition

Simone watched on in horror as her team’s hopes of winning gold were dashed in the final minutes of the competition 

The gymnastics superstar will now undergo 'daily assessments' to determine whether she is fit to compete in the individual finals, having gone into the Olympics as the favorite to win all five, including the all-around competition

The gymnastics superstar will now undergo ‘daily assessments’ to determine whether she is fit to compete in the individual finals, having gone into the Olympics as the favorite to win all five, including the all-around competition

But sadly her enthusiastic cheers were not enough to propel the US to a win, despite Jordan, 20, Grace, 18, and Suni, 18, all putting up impressive scores on both the uneven bars and the balance beam. They went into the final rotation, floor exercise, trailing Russia by just a few tenths of a point, however any hope they had of overtaking their rivals came to a crashing halt when Simone’s fellow Texan Jordan fell during one of her tumbling passes. 

The error left her with a score of just 11.7 and cleared the way for the ROC’s gymnasts to storm ahead to gold, with all of its athletes executing impressively clean routines on the floor exercise. 

The shock decision to pull Simone out of the competition comes just one day after she spoke out about her struggle to cope with the pressure of the 'weight of the world on her shoulders' following Team USA's lackluster performance in the team qualifiers

The shock decision to pull Simone out of the competition comes just one day after she spoke out about her struggle to cope with the pressure of the ‘weight of the world on her shoulders’ following Team USA’s lackluster performance in the team qualifiers  

Team USA’s sensational decision to pull Simone out of the competition came just days after the athlete opened up about her struggle to cope with the pressure of this year’s Olympics.  

Following the team qualifiers – during which the US put on a very lackluster performance that saw them qualifying in second place, while the Russian Olympic Committee finished in first – Simone took to Instagram to share her upset over her performance, while revealing that she ‘feels like she has the weight of the world on her shoulders’. 

In qualifying for the finals, the U.S. team of gold-medal hopefuls were beaten into second place by Russia’s athletes with Simone and teammates uncharacteristically faulting during their disciplines.  

‘Now to prepare for finals. It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,’ Simone admitted on Instagram.

‘I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times.

‘I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The Olympics is no joke!’

Simone’s withdrawal from the competition seriously damaged the US’s chances of earning gold in the team final, with Russia’s gymnasts pushing ahead in the wake of the gymnastics GOAT’s exit.  

Simone returned to the stadium to cheer on her teammates, showing little sign of upset or pain, and was seen standing comfortably on her feet - suggesting that she had not sustained a serious injury

Simone returned to the stadium to cheer on her teammates, showing little sign of upset or pain, and was seen standing comfortably on her feet – suggesting that she had not sustained a serious injury

The athlete kept her spirits high as she cheered on her teammates and was seen jumping in the air while supporting Suni, Grace, and Jordan during the balance beam event

The athlete kept her spirits high as she cheered on her teammates and was seen jumping in the air while supporting Suni, Grace, and Jordan during the balance beam event 

The decision to pull her out of the final has also left the US with just three athletes, first-time Olympians Suni, Jordan, and Grace, meaning that they all had to compete on every event. 

Initially, only Simone and Grace had been expected to take part in the all-around – meaning that they were the only two gymnasts who would have competed on all four apparatus: vault, uneven bars, beam, and floor exercise. 

As well as the added pressure on Team USA’s other three athletes, the squad’s overall score also took a huge hit; Simone’s routines on all four events are typically among those with the highest potential points, particularly when it comes to the vault, beam, and floor exercise. 

Even on the uneven bars, which is usually her worst event, Simone is leaps and bounds ahead of the majority of her competitors, a fact that she proved by qualifying for the individual event final.  

Simone and her teammates were seen congratulating Russia's gymnasts on their victory shortly after the final result was announced at the Ariake Gymnastics Center

Simone and her teammates were seen congratulating Russia’s gymnasts on their victory shortly after the final result was announced at the Ariake Gymnastics Center 

Despite the devastating blow to the team, all four athletes seemed in high spirits, and Simone and Jordan were seen celebrating their silver medal win with a fun dance on the podium

Despite the devastating blow to the team, all four athletes seemed in high spirits, and Simone and Jordan were seen celebrating their silver medal win with a fun dance on the podium 

Onward and upward? The gymnasts will now move ahead to compete in the individual finals - although it remains unclear whether Simone will take part in any of the five events that she qualified for

Onward and upward? The gymnasts will now move ahead to compete in the individual finals – although it remains unclear whether Simone will take part in any of the five events that she qualified for 

Team USA had gone into the Olympics as the favorites to win the final, but their journey got off to a very rocky start in the qualifying competition when they made a series of uncharacteristic errors

Team USA had gone into the Olympics as the favorites to win the final, but their journey got off to a very rocky start in the qualifying competition when they made a series of uncharacteristic errors 

Despite the devastating result of her personal performance in the final, Simone made heroic efforts to keep her spirits up, and was seen joking and laughing with teammate and fellow Texan Jordan – showing no clear sign of any injury or pain. 

Following the third rotation, the US was trailing Russia by just eight tenths of a point, having put in a tremendous performance on the beam, where Simone is typically the highest-scoring athlete. 

The final event in the competition – the floor exercise – will now determine the overall result, and reveal whether the US can surge ahead to win gold despite the absence of its most talented athlete. 

Team USA’s hopes of finishing in first place suffered another dramatic blow when Simone’s home gym teammate and close friend Jordan, 20, fell during her floor routine, resulting in a score of just 11.7 – effectively ending the squad’s chances of winning.  

Grace, 18, and Suni, 18, executed fairly clean routines with few mistakes but it was not enough to push the US ahead of Russia’s gymnasts, all of whom completed stellar floor exercises – ending with veteran athlete Angelina Melnikova, who broke down in tears as she ended her competition. 

source: dailymail.co.uk