Biles explains she withdrew due to struggles with 'twisties'

Star U.S. gymnast Simone Biles took to her Instagram account late Thursday (Friday afternoon in Tokyo) to shed light on the specific reason she withdrew from recent gymnastics competition at the Olympics.

In a series of posts, Biles shared video of herself struggling to land twisting skills during the day's morning practice session.

Biles shot back at accusations that she quit on her team, saying she decided to prioritize her physical and mental health because her mind and body "are simply not in sync."

The six-time Olympic medalist said her struggles with "twisties" - a gymnastics term for a mental block that makes performing aerial skills difficult and unsafe - "randomly started happening after prelims," a point in time where it was no longer possible for an alternate to replace her on the U.S. gymnastics team.

Biles fielded questions from followers, revealing she has struggled with twisties before, but her current bout is more pronounced. She also noted that the issues typically take several weeks to resolve.