Breaking News: Simone Biles, the gymnastics icon, shocked the world when she withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, citing mental health challenges. Now, new details have emerged about the private battle she faced leading up to her decision…

Biles famously missed the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but almost missed 2016 as well

SIMONE Biles’ former coach has revealed her struggled before the Tokyo Olympics.

Biles infamously was forced to pull out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after suffering from the twisties.

In a new book, Biles’ longtime coach Aimee Boorman revealed that she suffered from the twisties five years before Tokyo.

The twisties cause gymnasts to lose their orientation in the air, jeopardizing their routines and their safety.

That condition put Biles’ ability to compete at the 2016 Olympics as well.

Boorman claimed that Biles suffered from the twisties in 2015 just months after winning four gold medals at the World Gymnastics Championships.

Simone couldn’t twist — on basically anything,” Boorman wrote in the book.

Biles “would physically stop herself from twisting during her routines because she was afraid of getting lost in the air.

“Simone would never crash; she would just stop herself before ever attempting a twist.”

Biles went to therapy for the issue and worked with her family, eventually working through the issues in time for the 2016 Olympic qualifiers, according to The Guardian.