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Last year, Olympic legend Simone Biles went on a redemption tour, fueled by a desire to overcome her experience with the “Twisties,” which forced her to withdraw from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. She steamrolled back to prominence by winning three gold medals at the Paris Games and the coveted Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year award.
Her inspiring story continues to match up, but who knew that Tokyo wasn't her first battle with the “Twisties”?
On Monday, her ex-coach, Aimee Boorman, came forward in a new book, claiming that Biles sustained the “Twisites” prior to the 2016 Rio Olympics, per Alyssa Roenigk of ESPN.
In the book “The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles“, Boorman says that Biles became disoriented while practicing twisting skills approximately six months before the games.
“Yep, before Simone introduced the world to the twisties in 2021, she had experienced this proprioception phenomenon in January of 2016,” Boorman said. “When this happens to a gymnast who is flipping ten-plus feet in the air and they lose body awareness in space and time, not knowing if they're going to land on their back, feet or head, it's much more dangerous than the “yips” in baseball or golf.”
“Twisties” is a mental block that causes gymnasts to lose their ability to conduct aerial maneuvers. A disconnect between the brain and body can cause miscalculation of rotations, which can result in injury. Biles pulled out of the competition in Tokyo to prioritize her mental health.
She received a mixture of support and criticism. Support came from those who hailed her for taking mental wellness seriously, and criticism came from those who claimed that she should have fought through it.
Boorman details the period before Rio and the toll it took on Biles.
Aimee Boorman witnessed Simone Biles's early struggles with “Twisties.”
Boorman coached Biles from the time she was 7 years old. In the book, she says Biles's struggles began to arise during the 2015 world championships in Glasgow, Scotland.
A few months later, Boorman noted that Biles struggled with twisting moves but overcame it by being patient before performing those maneuvers.
“She would physically stop herself from twisting during her routines because she was afraid of getting lost in the air,” Boorman wrote. “Simone would never crash; she would just stop herself before ever attempting a twist.”
At the Rio Olympics, biles won four gold medals (all-around, vault, and floor exercise) and a bronze medal (balance beam).
