Simone Biles' Medical Issue Explained

Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, 24, knows first-hand how hard it is being the star of the team. She withdrew from the Tokyo games on Tuesday, and explained in an interview with Hoda Kotb on NBC's Today show that the reason was more mental than physical. "Physically, I feel good. I'm in shape," Biles said, adding that on an emotional level, it was a different story. "Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn't an easy feat," she said. The four-time Olympic gold medalist also explained to Andrea Joyce at NBC Sports that the struggle was "more mental, and we're just dealing with a couple of things internally" (via Today).

Biles stumbled during the landing of her vault event on Tuesday. After the event, she left the floor with the team's doctor and returned with her right leg wrapped. Jordan Chiles replaced her for the remainder of the competition, and Team USA went on to win silver in the competition (via CBS).

The New York Times reported that Simone Biles said she was not in the right place mentally to perform because she felt so much pressure to succeed. The stress is nothing new, as she reportedly said she was "fighting all of those demons" before the event on Tuesday and was simply unable to keep them at bay. She also said that she had to do what was right for her, adding that it was unfortunate that this had to happen at the Olympic Games.

Biles has been open about the pressure to perform recently. On Monday, she shared on her Instagram page that she felt like she had the "weight of the world on my shoulders at times," adding that it was difficult to act like the pressure didn't affect her. It was not immediately clear if Biles will compete in the all-around individual competition at the Tokyo Games. When asked, Biles said she was going to take things day by day (via NBC).