There has been an outpouring of support for Olympic gymnast Simone Biles following her shock withdrawal from the all around and women's team events in Tokyo.
The US icon left everyone stunned on Tuesday night when she lost her bearings on her first vault, then pulled out of the event altogether, later citing mental health reasons.
She may still compete in next week's individual events, but that will depend on an evaluation of her wellbeing.
Biles' decision to focus on her mental health has been applauded by the US gymnastics team, fellow athletes and her supporters at large.
"We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritising her wellbeing. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many," a tweet from her team read.
Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps also weighed in on the situation, telling NBC: "It's OK to not be OK.
"The Olympics are overwhelming. There's a lot of emotions that go into it."
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Phelps said it was heartbreaking to watch as the pressure placed on Biles became impossible for her to bear.
Touching on his own experience as an Olympic champion, he said the weight placed on the shoulders of athletes was a major challenge they faced.
.@Simone_Biles speaking up about her mental health is as inspirational as her phenomenal performances on the gym floor over the past decade. It’s ok not to be ok.
— Eddie Dennis (@EddieDennis1986) July 28, 2021
"You know, we carry a lot of things, a lot of weight on our shoulders. And it's challenging, especially when we have the lights on us and all of these expectations that are being thrown on top of us. So it broke my heart," Phelps said.
A former teammate of Biles also empathised with the 24-year-old megastar, agreeing the volume of pressure on her was simply too much.
"I can only speak from my own experience, and then watching the pressure that's on Simone, she had way more pressure (than what) was on me. And I felt like it was too much for me to handle. I would say way too much pressure," Aly Raisman, who competed alongside Biles in Rio five years ago, told USA Today.
"The amount of pressure that everyone has been putting on her is just, it's too much. I know so many people are well intentioned and mean well, but I think that people forget that Simone is human.
"And I appreciate how you guys said they won the silver medal because I think there's so much pressure to win a gold medal, and the US gymnasts did the best that they could. They did a great job, and they have so much to be proud of. And I think it's important that we start saying they won the silver medal."
Twitter has also been flooded with well wishes for Biles, who told reporters on Tuesday: "We hope America still loves us."
Pau Gasol, an Olympic basketballer from Spain, threw his support behind Biles, praising her for using her platform to promote the importance of mental health.
"Mental health is a key component of our health, and it must be a priority always. We need the sports world to focus on emotional and mental wellbeing a lot more. Thank you for using your platform, you are a true champion," his tweet read.
British Olympic gymnast Max Whitlock shared a similar sentiment, encouraging the star to take as long as she needed.
"You've pushed boundaries time and time again. Rest up and take time," he wrote.
Even director-general of the World Health Organisation Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised Biles' decision.
"Simone Biles is an important role model in so many ways, including making the right and brave decision this week," he tweeted. "Mental Health is essential to our overall wellbeing and we need to protect it in whatever way works for each of us"
It remains to be seen if Biles' 2021 Tokyo Olympics campaign will continue in next week's individual events.
Controversial British commentator Piers Morgan labelled Biles' decision "a joke" in a vile rant posted to Twitter, where he later promised a more extensive hitpiece on the topic.
"Are 'mental health issues' now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke. Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time.
"Kids need strong role models not this nonsense," one of his multiple nasty tweets read.
In a subsequent tweet, he blamed "virtue-signallers for fuelling this culture of celebrating weakness", arguing the "real world doesn't think like that".
He later announced he would be putting together a column about Biles, warning that members of "weak woke Twitter" were "not going to like it".
Twitter was also awash with support from US media outlets and journalists, many of which shared images of Biles with messages of encouragement.
"Powerful words from the GOAT [greatest of all time]. All the love and Support for Simone Biles," a tweet from TSN Sports read.
Alyssa Rosenberg from The Washington Post argued that "rooting for Simone Biles means recognising the greatness in her decision to step back".
In a piece from US site Upworthy, reporter Annie Reneau called on the public to "listen with compassion when she [Biles] tells us that she's not superhuman after all, and let her do what she needs to do".
Simone Biles won nationals w/broken toes in both feet, worlds w/a kidney stone, and has carried the burden of being a face of sexual assault survivors as a national institution failed to support them
— Kavitha A. Davidson (@kavithadavidson) July 27, 2021
Half of y'all yelling about "toughness" can't handle wearing a mask in Wegman's
When I trained as a gymnast, I watched a teammate land on her neck. She never walked again. Yelena Mukhina broke her neck performing a Salto and died from the injuries. Gymnastics is incredibly dangerous. @Simone_Biles is the best there's ever been. Ignorant critics - GROW UP.
— alison kervin OBE (@alikervin) July 28, 2021
Admiting to yourself that you simply can't do everything and that you are just a human being is so hard, as is admitting it to the world. @Simone_Biles you are a true hero. Thank you for sowhing us how to do it with grace. Thank you for allowing us to be humans #SimoneBiles
— Michal Molcho (@michalmolcho) July 28, 2021
As a former sportsperson that was fortunate enough to not suffer with mental health issues, it’s hard to comprehend what it must be like for those that do. For those that have never participated in elite level sport, it must be even harder to understand… you’d have thought. 🤔
— Gary Lineker 💙 (@GaryLineker) July 28, 2021
• Call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor
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