American gymnast Simone Biles is back to the Olympics with gold very much in her sights, three years after her shocking withdrawal.
The 26-year-old will compete in the individual events later in the week and the women’s team final in artistic gymnastics on Wednesday at 2:15 a.m. AEST.
The four-time Olympian gold medallist got off to a great start in the tournament with a high score in the artistic gymnastics qualifier for ladies.
After the most decorated gymnast in history withdrew from the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 due to mental health concerns, it was a much-awaited comeback.
She later disclosed that it was truly an instance of “the twisties,” a severe mental illness that can severely impair gymnasts.
What are the juicy details, and how did Biles get better?
Which twisties are there?
Gymnasts risk significant harm when they do the perilous twisties, a condition when they lose awareness of their body while in the air.
When a gymnast is attempting high-level movements, it can start to set in, making it challenging to focus on the specific technique they are trying.
It’s a phenomenon not widely researched but spoken of and experienced by some elite gymnasts.
While many experience it in their career, it is especially gruelling and dangerous to suffer from during competition.
US gymnasts Laurie Hernandez and Aleah Finnegan have also spoken of it during their careers.
What does it feel like to have the twisties?
Essentially, for the gymnast, it feels like their rhythm is off and they are not in control of their body’s movement.
During the Tokyo 2020 games, Biles was trying to perform a “2.5 twist” but ended up doing a “1.5 twist”.
She said she felt “lost in the air”.
“I don’t think you realise how dangerous this is on a hard/competition surface,” she said in 2021.
“It’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync.”
What causes the twisties?
Really, nobody knows.
Only after Biles disclosed she had the illness did the twisties become widely recognised, and study on them is still in their infancy.
According to study, it may occur when under psychological stress.
It started to show for Biles a week prior to the start of the Tokyo Games.
She experienced it again in 2019 and in the run-up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
She told Olympics.com at the time that she was “forgetting how to twist and flip.”
To what extent is it serious?
There is a significant chance of injury from twisties during competition for elite gymnasts like Simone Biles, who may propel herself several meters into the air.
This can involve a severe head knock, spinal injuries, or fractured bones.
How do you recover from the twisties?
Many gymnasts find that taking time off to attend to their mental health is beneficial, even though there isn’t a universal remedy for the twisties.
Biles announced her withdrawal from the Tokyo all-around and several apparatus finals, casting doubt on her ability to compete in an Olympic stadium in the future.
However, this week she made her comeback to the Olympic stage, assisted by her colleagues and a therapist, following a two-year break from competition.
Following her achievements in Tokyo, Biles told Reuters, “I knew I wasn’t done.”
“I knew I would be back; all I had to do was go back to the gym, work hard, and trust the process.”
Do other sportsmen receive the twisties?
Athletes from different sports have spoken about comparable problems.
According to the Associated Press, Canadian trampoline queen Rosie MacLennan, a two-time Olympic gold medallist, had trouble with her own twisties when preparing for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games.
She had to gradually rediscover her talents in order to recover in time to win the podium in Brazil.
Athletes in various sports, such basketball, baseball, and golf, have shared stories of having “the yips.”
The American academic medical institution Mayo Clinic defines the yips as involuntary muscle spasms that most often happen when golfers try to putt.
It claims that focal dystonia, a neurological disorder that affects particular muscles, is the cause of the yips.
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