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Simone Biles won't compete in individual vault or uneven bars Olympic finals

31 July 2021
Dan Ackermann

Simone Biles will not compete in the individual vault or uneven bars finals at the Tokyo Olympics, USA Gymnastics announced Friday.

Why it matters: Biles drew global attention after pulling out of the individual all-around and team finals to prioritize her mental health. It's unclear if she will compete in the balance beam or floor exercise events.

What they're saying: "After further consultation with medical staff, Simone Biles has decided to withdraw from the event finals for vault and the uneven bars," USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

  • "She will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether to compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam."
  • "We remain in awe of Simone, who continues to handle this strength with courage and grace, and all of the athletes who have stepped up during these unexpected circumstances."

Biles opened up about her decision to withdraw on Instagram this week, telling fans she started experiencing what gymnasts call the twisties after the preliminary round.

  • The condition occurs when an athlete enters a state of disassociation that affects skills performance and can lead to serious injury. 
  • "It's honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync," she wrote. "Literally can not tell up from down. It's the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body."
  • "What's even scarier is since I have no idea where I am in the air I also have NO idea how I am going to land. Or what I am going to land on."
  • "I didn't have a bad performance and quit," she added. "I simply got so lost my safety was at risk as well as a team medal."

What to watch: Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner will fill in for Biles in vault finals. They had the second- and fourth-highest scores in vault qualifications, respectively.

Go deeper: Simone Biles lauded for "bravery in prioritizing" mental wellness

Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times

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Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.

Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.

The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.

  • The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.

What the transcripts say:

  • Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
  • The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
  • Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."

Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.