The GOAT is back.
Olympic champion Simone Biles will compete in her remaining women's gymnastics final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after withdrawing from five previous ones, citing mental health concerns and a case of the "twisties," or mid-air disorientation that gymnasts occasionally suffer from.
The 24-year-old, one of the greatest gymnasts of all time and a four-time gold medalist at the 2016 Olympics, will take part in the balance beam final on Tuesday, Aug. 3. "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!!" USA Gymnastics tweeted on Aug. 2. "Can't wait to watch you both!"
Simone had entered the Olympics hoping to win six gold medals, including five individual ones, to become the most successful female Olympian of all-time across every sport. She had previously won four at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Last week, she withdrew from the women's team final after one rotation and a disappointing performance on the vault, but still helped Team USA win the silver medal.
"For anyone saying I quit. I didn't quit, my mind & body are simply not in sync," Simone wrote on her Instagram Story last week. "I don't think you realize how dangerous this is on hard/competition surface nor do I have to explain why I put health first."
Simone said the twisties "randomly started happening" the morning after the preliminary competition and that by then, an alternate was not allowed to replace her. "I chose to not continue team competition in jeopardizing losing a medal (of any color) for the girls....also for my own safety and health."
When asked by a fan what having the twisties feels like, she wrote she "literally can not tell up from down. It's the craziest feeling ever. not having an inch of control over your body. what's even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I'm going to land. or what I'm going to land on. head/ hands/ feet/ back..."
"I didn't have a bad performance & quit," Simone continued. "I've had plenty of bad performances throughout my career and finished the competition. I simply got so lost my safety was at risk as well as a team medal. therefore the girls stepped up and killed the rest of the competition & won silver...QUEENS!!!!!"
After the team competition, Simone withdrew from the individual all-around final on July 29. Her teammate and first-time Olympian, Suni, 18, won her first Olympic gold medal in the final, making history as the first Asian American woman to win the top spot in that competition.
Simone later withdrew from the uneven bars and vault finals. At the later event, she was replaced by MyKayla Skinner, a first-time Olympian competing as an individual and who previously failed to qualify. She won her first medal, silver, and the third for the U.S. women's gymnastics team. Simone cheered on her teammates in the individual events.
Earlier this week, she pulled out of the floor exercise final, leaving just Tuesday's balance beam event up in the air.
On her Instagram Story on July 31, Simone shared two quotes: "I'm allowed to have boundaries and not feel bad" and "We rise by lifting others."
That day, Simone also retweeted a fan who shared screenshots of profiles of 2020 Tokyo Olympic athletes who cited her as their hero. "My heart," she responded, adding a heart and crying face emoji.
Simone reacts during the gymnastics women's team final.
Simone and teammate Grace Mc Callum react during the gymnastics women's team final.
Simone and teammate Grace McCallum react during the gymnastics women's team final.
Simone appears at the women's gymnastics team final.
Simone, Grace McCallum and Jordan Chiles cheer for teammate Sunisa "Suni" Lee as she competes on uneven bars during the women's gymnastics team final.
Simone appears with her teammates at the women's gymnastics team final.
Simone Biles appears mid-air during her performance at the women's gymnastics team final on July 27.
Simone lands her vault in the women's gymnastics team final. The athlete was scheduled to perform 2.5 twists in the air completed just 1.5.
Simone later explains at a press conference that she "got "a little bit lost in the air," and later confirmed she had developed the "twisties," or mid-air disorientation.
Disappointed with her performance, Simone walks off the competition floor after her vault at the women's gymnastics team final on July 27. She later withdraws from the event.
Despite withdrawing from the women's gymnastics team final after one rotation, Simone helped her team win the silver medal. Here she is pictured with teammates Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum and Sunisa "Suni" Lee.
Simone and Jordan Chiles react after receiving their silver medals.
Simone helps congratulate the Russian team on their gold medal victory.
Simone and Jordan Chiles celebrate on the podium of the gymnastics women's team final.
Amid ongoing mental health concerns and case of the "twisties," Simone opts out of the women's individual all-around final.
But Simone did join fellow Team USA members Jordan Chiles and MyKayla Skinner and Riley McCusker—who did not qualify for the Tokyo Olympics—to support their teammate Sunia "Suni" Lee" from the stands during the women's gymnastics individual all-around final.
The Olympic gold medalist smiled and waved from the stands at the women's individual all-around final on July 29.
Simone withdraws from the uneven bars and vault finals. In the latter, she is replaced by MyKayla Skinner, who appeared to end her 2020 Tokyo Olympics journey days earlier when she failed to qualify for individual finals.
After pulling out of her fifth event, the floor exercise final, Simone was seen cheering on her teammates at the women's gymnastics uneven bars final.