Simone Biles Withdrawal

Simone Biles Speaks Out After Exit From Tokyo Olympics

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SIMONE: Physically I feel good, I’m in shape. Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and the moment.

REPORTER: Simone Biles withdraws from the team finals at the Tokyo Olympics due to a medical issue.

SIMONE: Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star of the Olympics is not an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.

REPORTER: The 24 four-year-old gymnasts opened up to the Today Show on Tuesday after she left the competition floor with the team USA medical trainer following her first rotation on the vault of the women’s team final at the Tokyo Olympics. Simone did not do the Amanar vault but opted instead for another move which earned her a 13.766, the lowest score of any of her Olympic showings. And in a statement the USA gymnastics said: “Simone has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions." Reserve Jordan Chiles replaced Simone after she left the floor ahead of her uneven bars rotation. She later returned to the arena with her right leg wrapped and hugged her teammates who finished the competition without her. And Simone told Today how the team handled the news of her withdrawing.

SIMONE: They were freaking out. They were like crying and I was like you guys need to relax, you’re gonna be fine without me, go out there, you kick some butts just like you’ve done in training and just lay it out on the floor and see what happens!

REPORTER: Earlier this week, Simone, who has four Olympic gold medals, got candid about the pressures of competing, writing 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.”