Olympic gymnast Simone Biles thanks fans for support after she drops out of competition

Biles has drawn intense praise and criticism for her decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics to focus on her mental health.

The gold-medal winning U.S. Olympic gymnast made further comments about her decision to drop out of the Olympics.

“The outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before,” Simone Biles wrote on Twitter.

the outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before. 🤍

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) July 29, 2021

Former champion gymnast Carly Patterson praised Biles.

“I’ve loved watching you over the years, you have a lot to be proud of! Your accomplishments will always be yours, & even better than that you have so much life/happy times ahead of you beyond gymnastics,” Patterson wrote.

I’ve loved watching you over the years, you have a lot to be proud of! Your accomplishments will always be yours, & even better than that you have so much life/happy times ahead of you beyond gymnastics❤️

— Carly Patterson (@CarlyPatterson) July 29, 2021

Others, like conservative Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh sharply criticized her decision to drop out of competition and the subsequent praise she’s received.

Except that she has explained what the problem was and that's not what she said. She very clearly said that she's under pressure, needs to work on her "mindfulness" and "mental health," and she wasn't having fun. Those are her words. People are inventing excuses on her behalf. https://t.co/ngXy2zvLBI

— Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) July 28, 2021

What do you think about Simone Biles’ decision? Did she let down her team? Share your thoughts below!

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