For a gymnast, there are few things more important than having spatial awareness. Imagine doing a routine involving flips, jumps, and twists, and while performing it, you lose sight of everything around you – where the mat is, where your body’s supposed to land. All of it. Yes, muscle memory takes over at some point, but until then, spatial awareness is a gymnast’s best friend. Well, that loss – commonly referred to as “twisties” – made Simone Biles withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics. It’s what made her feel like the world would hate her.
Turns out, it was the exact opposite. “I had no idea where I was in the air. I could have hurt myself,” Biles said at the time. “I thought the world is going to hate me. That was my first thought. I thought I was going to be banned from America.” Instead, she received tons of support from almost everyone who heard her story, including Irish gymnast Rhys McClenaghan, who not only supported Biles but also empathized with her.
24-year-old McClenaghan secured automatic qualification for the Paris Olympics by retaining the pommel horse title at the World Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp in October 2023. When Simone Biles got the “twisties” – planning a 2½ twist but only managing 1½ before losing her bearings in the vault – McClenaghan was making his Olympic debut, finishing seventh in the pommel horse event in Tokyo. When he learned about what the American was going through following her withdrawal, she spoke up (or rather, wrote) in support of her.
“Mental blocks ain’t no joke, I’ve experienced this firsthand throughout my career, and they are still the most challenging times I’ve faced,” he tweeted on X, adding, “Only people who have experienced this can fully understand the stress that comes with it.” Since then, three years have passed, and McClenaghan himself has been diligently working on his mental approach.
As reported by the Irish Independent, Rhys McClenaghan faced a significant challenge when he suffered a panic attack for the first time just weeks before his gold medal triumph at the 2023 World Gymnastics Championships. However, he acknowledged the importance of collaborating with his coach, Luke Carson, and sports psychologist, Jessie Barr, especially after a difficult time at the 2023 Paris World Cup. Recalling his experience, McClenaghan shared, “My body was completely healthy, I was physically ready, but my mind wasn’t quite happy if I’m honest.”
This was similar to what Simone Biles had said when critics called her out for quitting. “For anyone saying I quit, I didn’t quit. My mind & body are simply not in sync.” Considering how dangerous competing in that state can be for one’s safety, she added, “I put health first.” As for Rhys McClenaghan, he continued, “Even in the warm-up before my routine in Paris, I was more nervous than I had ever been before – and, quite honestly, had a bit of a panic attack before I competed. It was a very strange feeling – a feeling that I had never experienced before.”
Despite this challenge, McClenaghan persevered and conquered it and is now vying for Parisian glory, much like Biles envisioned after the Tokyo 2020 withdrawal. The American probably had the worst time dealing with the debilitating “twisties.” It can be likened to the yips in golf (an involuntary, unforeseen wrist muscle spasm), hindering players from performing optimally. British gymnast Claudia Fragapane seemed to have undergone something similar.
She competed in Rio 2016 and fell on the uneven bars and the balance beam. Fragapane even emphatically quipped to the BBC: “[I] understand exactly how Simone was feeling. It’s really dangerous if you doubt yourself a little bit or you find it really hard. You can really, really hurt yourself. I’ve been in her shoes, and I ended up hurting myself.” And she’s not the only one. Former gymnast Jacoby Miles had a tumultuous bout of the “twisties” mid-air, where she struck her neck, only to break it in the process.
In a post on Instagram, Miles wrote, “It only took one time of getting lost in the air for me to break my neck and leave me paralyzed, most likely for life.” She exclaimed that Biles’ hiatus was justified. “I’m so so glad [Biles] decided to not continue until she’s mentally recovered.” Now, it looks like Simone Biles is back to her dominating self, where her mind and body are in complete sync.
Simone Biles rises akin to a phoenix from the ashes
Simone Biles dazzled the world with her comeback at the 2023 World Championships in Belgium, snagging an impressive four gold medals and reaffirming her unmatched talent in gymnastics. Starting off this season with a bang, she cruised to victory at the Core Hydration Classics, leaving no doubt about her readiness for the upcoming Olympics. She took home the all-around title with a dominant 59.500, courtesy of a gold medal-winning performance on the floor and silvers on the uneven bars and balance beam.
With Paris on the horizon, Biles is pouring her heart and soul into training, determined to leave the ghosts of Tokyo behind. She shared her newfound focus on self-care and balancing life’s priorities. She continues to dominate events like the U.S. Classics and Xfinity Championship this year, even winning a record ninth all-around title.
As she put it after winning the Xfinity Championship, “Just making sure I’m healthy mentally and physically, and I think at this point, mentally is just as important as I physically feel. So just making sure I go to my therapy sessions weekly.” The world eagerly awaits her moment of glory, anticipating another unforgettable performance from the incomparable Simone Biles.
