When superstar Simone Byers withdrew from the team finals on Tuesday, the US women’s gymnastics team suffered a devastating blow. Byers left the field with a trainer after the landing of her vault, and she announced her withdrawal shortly afterwards.
“Simeone withdrew from the team finals due to medical issues,” the US Gymnastics team said in a statement. statement“She will be evaluated daily to determine the medical pass rate for future competitions.”
There was initially some confusion as to why Biles could no longer participate in the competition. It was initially reported that Byers had no physical injuries. According to NBC commentators, Byers’ coach said the gymnast was dealing with “mental problems.”
However, Byers let her legging When she came back to cheer for her team, it seemed that the 24-year-old player suffered a leg injury. It is not yet clear whether Byers can return to the game at this year’s Olympics.
At the same time, the US Gymnastics team’s official statement: “Simon Byers withdrew from the team finals due to medical problems. She will be evaluated daily to determine the medical pass rate for future competitions.”
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) July 27, 2021
Official statement: “Simon Byers withdrew from the team final due to health issues. She will be evaluated daily to determine the medical pass rate for future matches.”
Miss you, Simeone! pic.twitter.com/QA1GYHwWTv
— American Gymnastics (@USAGym) July 27, 2021
Byers is arguably the greatest gymnast in American history. She won five medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, including four gold medals.
Byers started relatively slowly in Tokyo, scoring lower than expected in Sunday’s qualifiers. The Olympians admitted to feeling the pressure of expectations of her.
“[I]This is not an easy day, nor is it my best day, but I survived.Sometimes I really feel like carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders,” Byers Say on Instagram.
“I know I dismissed it and made it look like the pressure didn’t affect me, but damn it’s hard sometimes hahaha! The Olympics are no joke!”
Without Byers, the US team won the silver medal in the team game on Tuesday. The Russian Olympic Committee team won the gold medal, ending the third consecutive opportunity for the US team to win first place in the event.
After losing Simone Byers, the US team regained the silver medal and fell behind the Russian Olympic Committee in the women’s team final. pic.twitter.com/3a3S9QZJr2
— ESPN (@espn) July 27, 2021
Byers’ injury is not the only obstacle facing the US team. The women’s game was forced to be played without spectators. Some people believe that the empty venue may have a negative impact on the team’s performance.
“They feel a little bit disappointed because there are no spectators there who can rely on adrenaline for their livelihoods,” three-time Olympic athlete Dominic Dawes told NBC Finance Channel After the US team finished second in Sunday’s qualifiers. “I can’t imagine that in the three Olympic Games I participated in, no spectators chanted’Go to America!’ Or, at least, relying on their energy, so it must be very difficult.”
The U.S. team will have to get used to games without fans. Due to the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in Japan, spectators throughout the Tokyo Olympics have been banned from watching.
Photo: AFP/Loic VENANCE
