Ever since she landed on Parisian soil last month, Simone Biles has had gymnastics viewers glued to their TV screens.
The Team USA favourite proved within minutes of the 2024 Olympic Games commencing that she didn't come to play, and has since ruthlessly defended her title as the world's most decorated gymnast in history, racking up countless medals.
What many newly-converted fans of the 27-year-old may not realise, however, is that Simone was almost prevented from competing in this year's illustrious sporting tournament, after she pulled out of the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, citing 'the Twisties'.
How has Simone Biles performed so far this year?
Last week, the Ohio-born athlete won the all-around gymnastics title for her second Olympic gold in Paris and sixth overall.
Her numerous victories have been awarded before crowds of starry-eyed fans, many of which proved to be A-listers, including Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise and Ariana Grande.
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And though she sadly suffered an out-of-character mistake during the 10cm-wide individual balance beam yesterday (5 August) - losing her balance and falling to the floor, landing in fifth place - one simply can't deny that Simone has had gymnastics judges eating out of the palm of her hand this year.
Naturally, therefore, the revelation that the sportswoman was almost unable to compete this year due to a heartbreaking ailment has left hoards of fans blindsided.
What happened to Simone Biles at the Tokyo Olympics?
Back in 2021, a 24-year-old Simone rocked up to the postponed Olympic Games in Tokyo in the hope of bringing home a batch of medals.
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Little did she know, however, was that she'd soon be taking a heartbreaking break from the sport she so adored, after she 'got lost' in the air as part of a phenomenon referred to in the industry as 'the Twisties'.
She first caught wind of an issue while practising her vault ahead of the games in Japan, after experiencing an overwhelming sense of instability.
Whilst in midair, she was unexpectedly forced to change the difficulty of her rotation from a 2.5 to 1.5, in order to avoid an accident.
Simone later recalled listeners of the Call Her Daddy podcast: "It doesn’t feel comfortable, I have no idea where I am, but I’m twisting, praying I land on my feet.
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"I felt like I was fighting my body and my mind to do these tricks."
Her devastating newfound mental state subsequently forced Simone to bow out of the team competition at the Summer Games.
She later took two years out from international competition, and underwent therapy for her experience.
What are 'the Twisties'?
For those unfamiliar with the savage status of mind, 'the Twisties' have often been compared to 'yips' in sports like golf or baseball, which sees professional sportsmen suddenly lose the ability to perform under pressure.
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Reflecting on her awkward landing during the warm-up, she explained during her popular Netflix series Simone Biles Rising: "I knew from that very moment it wasn’t like one time and done. You can feel it in your head.
"I knew it wasn’t just like, ‘Oops, sorry.’ How am I supposed to tell them that this is bad, bad?"
Looking back on her devastating diagnosis in the documentary, she let viewers in on how 'the Twisties' can affect you.
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"I’m getting lost on my skills," she explained, breaking down in tears. "I just don’t get how. It’s like I’m so prepared but I don’t know if I’m overthinking."
She added: "In gym, we call it the Twisties. It should be a forbidden word because it sucks to have them for anybody."
Why did Simone Biles get 'the Twisties'?
In Simone's case, the Olympian has since explained that she believes the pressure she placed upon herself in Tokyo inadvertently had a damaging effect on her self-confidence.
"[The pressure] feels heavy," she said. "It’s like the weight of the world on your shoulders and I’m very small, so I feel like, at times, it’s very overwhelming.
"But whenever you get so overwhelmed and have triggers, it’s just like — I have to focus on my mental wellbeing and that’s what I did."
Thankfully, however, Simone says she's now made a full recovery.
Appearing a this year's games, she reassured press: "I’m fine. I’m twisting again. No worries. All is good."
Topics: Simone Biles, Celebrity, US News, Health, Sport, Olympics
Rhianna Benson