Simone Biles faced backlash, but mental health experts and teammates alike offered support

When Simone Biles abruptly removed herself from the team competition in the Tokyo Olympics last week, she stunned the world. But like Naomi Osaka just a few weeks before, she generated significant discussion about mental health and the pressure that high-profile athletes and other celebrities feel.

There were more than 9,000 stories on Biles and mental health over the last week, Axios reported, nearly twice the coverage that Osaka generated two months earlier when she withdrew from the French Open, also for mental health reasons. Both athletes cited the burden that accompanies expectations as stars from whom much is demanded.

Biles said she had gotten a case of the “twisties,” the Washington Post reported, meaning she lost control of where she was while in the air. “I could have hurt myself,” Biles said.