Gymnastics star Simone Biles withdraws from second event
Gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympics yesterday, a day after she shocked the world by pulling out of the team event and put a sharp focus on mental health at the Games.
American Biles will be evaluated to see if she can take part in the individual apparatus competitions, USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Twitter.
Biles made the decision so she "can focus on her mental health," the organisation said, adding that it supported her "wholeheartedly".
Athletes such as tennis superstar Naomi Osaka and now Biles have highlighted the immense pressures on them, raising questions about whether global sporting figures get enough mental health support.
Osaka lost in her Olympic singles event on Tuesday, her first tournament since pulling out of the French Open in May, when she said she had been suffering from depression for nearly three years.
"More could be done" on athletes' mental health, said International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams.
He added that mental health remained a big issue and that it was a matter the organisation had been working on for some time. - REUTERS
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