REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
- Simone Biles withdrew from two Olympic competitions due to mental health concerns.
- Her sponsors issued statements of support for Biles, CNN reported.
- The gymnast got lost in the air during a dangerous vault on Tuesday, which could have led to injury.
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Simone Biles' sponsors, including companies like Athleta and Visa, stood by the decorated gymnast after Biles' decision to withdraw from certain Olympic events due to her mental health, CNN reported.
Kyle Andrew, Athleta's chief brand officer, told CNN that the company supports her and her well-being on and off the mat. "Being the best also means knowing how to take care of yourself," he told CNN. Visa called Biles' decision "incredibly brave," and Core Power, a brand that has partnered with Biles for years, told CNN that the brand supports the gymnast's recovery.
"Simone Biles showing us all that her courage and strength extend well beyond the mat," Core Power tweeted.
-Core Power (@CorePower) July 28, 2021
Biles withdrew from the women's team all-around finals partway through the competition after she lost her way in the air during a vault, a potentially dangerous experience that gymnasts call "the twisties." Her earlier performances still led the US team to a silver medal in the team all-around. She later withdrew from the individual all-around finals.
Her step back from the Tokyo Olympics drew backlash from some commentators, including the British broadcaster Piers Morgan, who called the four-time Olympic gold medalist's decision "gutless and cowardly."
With Biles having earned a reputation as the greatest gymnast of all time, spectators expected more stunning performances and gold medals from her going into the Tokyo. But that expectation is just one of many stressors on Biles that supporters say is unknown to most people - and even most elite gymnasts.
"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," Biles wrote on her Instagram.
She qualified for four event finals in Tokyo and has said she will take the rest of the games "one day at a time."