Simone Biles is at her best at the 2024 Paris Olympics. She will soon compete in various gymnastics events and recently led her team to gold again for the USA in the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics final. However, Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics due to health issues. She later revealed that twisties were one of the reasons. Let’s take a closer look at what twisties are in gymnastics.
Gymnasts explain the 'twisties' after Simone Biles recovers from case
Twisties are a phenomenon where gymnasts lose sight of their body movements.
Although the condition has not been thoroughly studied, twisties appear to be a lack of synchronization between the body and mind during a gymnastics routine. This can be very dangerous, especially in competitive scenarios. It can potentially lead to broken bones, spinal cord injuries, or even severe concussions that can be fatal. Simone Biles reportedly dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics vault and uneven bars finals after claiming she had twisties.
This phenomenon can make it difficult for a gymnast to perform the exact movements of their routine while keeping their body in the air. This is a crucial time for the gymnast to perform the correct movement to avoid injury and land safely. During the Tokyo Olympics, Biles spoke candidly about her experience with the twisties. According to ABC, she said, "It's honestly terrifying to try to perform a skill and not have your mind and body be in sync."
