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Simone Biles’ withdrawal makes all-around competition a wide-open race

AP photo by Gregory Bull / American gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the women's gymnastics team final Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles wound up withdrawing from that competition after a troublesome vault, and she decided Wednesday to exit from Thursday's all-around individual final as well.
AP photo by Gregory Bull / American gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the women's gymnastics team final Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles wound up withdrawing from that competition after a troublesome vault, and she decided Wednesday to exit from Thursday's all-around individual final as well. AP photo by Gregory Bull / American gymnast Simone Biles waits to perform on the vault during the women's gymnastics team final Tuesday at the Tokyo Olympics. Biles wound up withdrawing from that competition after a troublesome vault, and she decided Wednesday to exit from Thursday's all-around individual final as well.

By WILL GRAVES / The Associated Press 4 min read

TOKYO – Simone Biles’ bid to repeat as the all-around champion in women’s gymnastics at the Olympics is over before it truly started.

The American superstar withdrew from Thursday’s all-around competition to focus on her mental health. USA Gymnastics said in a statement released Wednesday that the 24-year-old has opted to not compete, a decision that came a day after Biles removed herself from the team final after one rotation because she felt she wasn’t mentally ready.

Jade Carey, who finished ninth in qualifying, was set to take Biles’ place in the all-around individual competition. Carey initially did not qualify because she was the third-ranked American behind Biles and Sunisa Lee, and International Gymnastics Federation rules limit countries to two athletes per event in the finals.

USA Gymnastics said Biles will be evaluated daily before deciding if she will participate in next week’s individual events. Biles qualified for the finals on all four apparatuses, something she didn’t even do during her five-medal haul in Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Olympics.

Biles spent a portion of Wednesday evening watching fellow U.S. gymnasts Sam Mikulak and Brody Malone compete in the men’s all-around finals. Mikulak, a three-time Olympian, praised Biles’ decision.