TOKYO: Superstar gymnast Simone Biles pulled out of a second event to protect her mental health on Wednesday, putting the spotlight on athletes’ well-being at a Tokyo Olympics held under strict rules to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Biles, who caused shockwaves with her withdrawal during the team event on Tuesday, also ditched the all-around, raising doubts about her further participation in Tokyo.
The 24-year-old American’s struggles follow those of Japanese tennis star Naomi Osaka, another face of the Games who lost in the third round on her return from a mental health break.
They overshadowed another busy day at the delayed 2020 Games, where US swimming great Katie Ledecky bounced back from her second defeat by Australia’s Ariarne Titmus to win her first gold in Tokyo.
Biles, unbeaten in all-around competition since 2013 and widely touted as the ‘G.O.A.T’ (Greatest Of All Time), arrived seeking five Olympic titles to equal Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina’s career record of nine.
But this week she complained she had “the weight of the world on my shoulders” and withdrew after a single, shaky vault in the team competition. Attention will now focus on whether she will compete in her four remaining individual events.
Biles is not alone in suffering mental problems, and several athletes have complained of difficulties during coronavirus lockdowns. Australian basketball star Liz Cambage was one who skipped Tokyo fearing its “terrifying” living conditions.
Elsewhere Ledecky, who won four gold medals at the Rio 2016 Games, lost her 200m freestyle crown to Titmus, two days after also ceding her 400m title to the Australian.
But Ledecky regrouped to annihilate the field in the first women’s 1500m held at an Olympics, finishing more than four seconds clear of US teammate Erica Sullivan.
Ledecky, 24, is just the fourth female swimmer to claim six Olympic gold medals. However Titmus, nicknamed “Terminator”, is emerging as one of the stars at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
Japan’s Yui Ohashi completed a medley double, winning the 200m event to go with the 400m gold she secured on Sunday, while world record-holder Kristof Milak powered to the men’s 200m butterfly gold.
Medals Table
Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
Japan 13 4 5 22
China 12 6 9 27
United States 11 11 9 31
Russian Olympic Committee 7 10 6 23
Australia 6 1 9 16
Great Britain 5 6 5 16
South Korea 4 2 5 11
Germany 3 2 5 10
France 3 2 3 8
Netherlands 2 6 3 11
Canada 2 3 4 9
Hungary 2 1 2 5
Slovenia 2 1 1 4
Kosovo 2 0 0 2
Italy 1 6 8 15
Switzerland 1 3 2 6
Taiwan 1 2 3 6
Brazil 1 2 2 5
Georgia 1 2 0 3
Romania 1 2 0 3
Serbia 1 1 2 4
Austria 1 1 1 3
Hong Kong 1 1 0 2
Tunisia 1 1 0 2
Croatia 1 0 1 2
Estonia 1 0 1 2
Uzbekistan 1 0 1 2
Bermuda 1 0 0 1
Ecuador 1 0 0 1
Fiji 1 0 0 1
Iran 1 0 0 1
Latvia 1 0 0 1
Norway 1 0 0 1
Philippines 1 0 0 1
Thailand 1 0 0 1
New Zealand 0 2 1 3
Spain 0 2 1 3
South Africa 0 2 0 2
Indonesia 0 1 2 3
Mongolia 0 1 2 3
Belgium 0 1 1 2
Czech Republic 0 1 1 2
Bulgaria 0 1 0 1
Colombia 0 1 0 1
Denmark 0 1 0 1
India 0 1 0 1
Jordan 0 1 0 1
North Macedonia 0 1 0 1
Poland 0 1 0 1
Turkmenistan 0 1 0 1
Venezuela 0 1 0 1
Kazakhstan 0 0 3 3
Ukraine 0 0 3 3
Egypt 0 0 2 2
Mexico 0 0 2 2
Turkey 0 0 2 2
Argentina 0 0 1 1
Cuba 0 0 1 1
Ireland 0 0 1 1
Israel 0 0 1 1
Ivory Coast 0 0 1 1
Kuwait 0 0 1 1