“It broke my heart…nobody is perfect” – When Michael Phelps opened up about Simone Biles’ withdrawal from Tokyo Olympics due to twisties

Following Simone Biles’ withdrawal from the Tokyo Olympics due to twisties, Michael Phelps related to the gymnast’s mental health struggles and claimed it broke his heart. The 23-time gold medalist is a firm advocate of mental health.

Phelps and Biles competed together at the 2016 Rio Olympics. While the former served as flag bearer for Team USA during the opening ceremony, the latter held the honor during the closing ceremony.

The swimmer bagged five medals at the Games and retired afterward while Biles took home four gold medals in her debut Olympics before vying for more in Tokyo five years later. However, while performing a vault routine during the team finals, she lost her balance in the air and nearly fell.

It turned out that the American gymnast was suffering from twisties, a mental health condition where gymnasts lose idea of their position in the air. While Biles withdrew from the team finals, her withdrawal sparked a conversation over the importance of taking care of athletes’ mental health. Phelps related to Biles’ struggles and said it broke his heart.

He further encouraged Biles’ call for help and emphasized that she was also a human being.

“We’re human beings. Nobody is perfect. It’s okay to not be okay, to go through ups and downs. The biggest thing is we all need to ask for help. I can say personally it was very challenging. It was hard for me to ask for help. I felt like I was carrying, as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It’s a tough situation,” Michael Phelps added.

The 28-time Olympic medalist also hoped the gymnast’s withdrawal would serve as a wake-up call for the world.