Jaws dropped when Olympic gold medalist gymnast Simone Biles — one of the highest-profile Americans competing in Japan — shockingly underperformed her vault and then benched herself for the remainder of the Tokyo Olympics team finals on Tuesday because she "wasn’t in the right headspace" to compete.
The reaction was similar last month when Tennis star Naomi Osaka — who was ousted from the Olympics with a third round loss on Tuesday — stunned fans by withdrawing from the French Open due to what she said was a battle with anxiety and depression. She had earlier told tournament officials that she wouldn’t do post-match press conferences because of questions that "bring doubts to our mind."
Join As Newsmax Platinum Member for Unlimited Access!
Get exclusive Newsmax Platinum content that includes:
- Special investigative reports
- Go inside the Trump administration to find out what’s really happening
- Breaking political insider news from Washington
- In-depth interviews with A-list celebs and insiders driving the day's headlines
- Thousands of articles you won't find anywhere else!
All just by becoming a Newsmax Platinum Member today!
Sign Up for Platinum AccessLogin
Marisa Herman ✉
Marisa Herman, a Newsmax senior reporter, focuses on major and investigative stories. A University of Florida graduate, she has more than a decade of experience as a reporter for newspapers, magazines, and websites.