Last update on. From the section OlympicsBiles claims she's had the "twisties" before, but not in any of her four events.Simone Biles, a US gymnast, says she's still having trouble with her 'twisties' and raises doubts about her participation in the remaining Olympic finals.The 24-year old withdrew from Tokyo's team and all-around finals, claiming that she was prioritizing her mental health.During a Q&A session via social media on Friday, she stated that "I seriously cannot understand how to twist."She will compete in each of the four individual apparatus finals starting Sunday.Four-time Olympic champion, she posted Instagram videos of her training session. In which she attempts to twist dismounts from uneven bars, but fails both times to land on her feet.According to the gymnast, she had seen the 'twisties" before, but not on all four pieces."It has never been transferred to beams and bars before. It only likes vault and floor...the hardest two. It's now on all events. This is really, really awful."She said that the problem could take up to two weeks to resolve.Finals for the vault and uneven bars are Sunday. The beam and floor events will be Monday and Tuesday.What are the "twisties" in gymnastics?The twisties are a mental block for gymnasts.A sudden mental block in some sports, such as the "yips" in golf, can result either in a missed putt or a lost round.It can lead to a loss of spatial awareness and dimension in gymnastics. This can make it difficult for a person to control their body and perform extra turns or flips they didn't intend. They may find themselves suddenly unable or unable to land safely in the worst cases.Even if a gymnast has been doing the same maneuver for years, twisties can occur to them.Learn more about the "twisties" here.Biles described the difficulties she is currently facing by saying, "It's truly petrifying trying not to have your mind and body in harmony."I don’t think you realize how dangerous this can be on a competition/hard top."Literally, I cannot tell up from downstairs... She said that she also had no idea where she was going to land. "Or where I'm going to land. Head/hands/feet/back."Biles said that she felt the sensation the morning after qualifying. To overcome the feeling, Biles must go back to basics and practice skills on soft surfaces and in pits to regain her air awareness and confidence.
