After Biles’ Olympic meltdown, stars start going public on mental health


Simone Biles has been plagued by a case of the 'twisties', where gymnasts lose the ability to orient themselves mid-air, due to mental health issues. – AFP pic, July 12, 2022.

AMERICAN gymnastics superstar Simone Biles’s legacy may not be the four Olympic gold medals she won in her career but a remarkable meltdown at the Tokyo Olympics, which sparked other sports greats to speak out about their battle with mental health issues. 

Biles’s attack of the “twisties” – a condition meaning gymnasts lose the ability to orient themselves mid-air – is perhaps the most abiding image of the Games. 


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