Although Biles' withdrawal surprises her former 'Dancing with the Stars' partner Sasha Farber, the pro-dancer gives the artistic gymnast his support and credits her for being 'such a strong woman.'
- Jul 28, 2021
AceShowbiz - Simone Biles has opened up more about the reason why she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics final. Having cited mental health issues behind her bold decision, the artistic gymnast claimed in an interview with NBC's "Today" that she's "super frustrated."
"I'm OK, just super frustrated of how the night played out, but super proud of these girls that stepped up and did what they needed to do and now we're Olympic silver medalists, so it's something that we'll cherish forever," the 24-year-old told Hoda Kotb. "We hope America still loves us."
During the interview, Biles assured that "physically, I feel good, I'm in shape." She, however, divulged, "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star of the Olympics isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see."
Biles went on to reveal that her teammates were "freaking out" upon learning of her exit. "They were like crying, and I was like, 'You guys need to relax, you're going to be fine without me. Go out there, kick some butt just like you've done in training, and just lay it out on the floor and see what happens,' " she recalled.
Biles' withdrawal has surprised the public, including her former "Dancing with the Stars" partner Sasha Farber. Reacting to the news, Farber told Entertainment Tonight, "It was weird because I couldn't believe it at first, but at the same time, I've never been to an Olympics, so I don't know [what it's like], but you know, the pressure must be out of this world. Not only that, she's literally holding all of America on her shoulders."
"It must be so much pressure and she is the star of the team. I mean, there is always a camera in front of her. Even when she's just waiting for events, there's a camera there," the pro-dancer shared. "It must be so hard. She's such a strong strong woman. I wish her family, her mom and dad, could be there [in Tokyo], because I know she's very close with them, to give them a hug. But I know that all of America is definitely behind her."
Biles announced her departure on Tuesday, July 27. "No injury, thankfully. That's why I took a step back, because I didn't want to do something silly out there and get injured," she told the press conference. "I thought it was best if these girls took over and did the rest of the job, which they absolutely did. They're Olympic silver medalists now and they should be really proud of themselves for how well they did last minute having to go in."
