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Biles thankful for outpouring of support

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Simone Biles has thanked people for supportive messages after she pulled out of two Olympic events.
Camera IconSimone Biles has thanked people for supportive messages after she pulled out of two Olympic events. Credit: AP

Gymnastics superstar Simone Biles has thanked people for their supportive response after she announced her withdrawal from two Tokyo Olympics events to protect her mental health.

Biles pulled out of the women's team final on Tuesday after the first rotation, with her team going on to claim silver, as well as Thursday's all-round competition, which she won in Rio 2016.

"The outpouring (of) love & support I've received has made me realize I'm more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before," the 24-year-old American wrote in a tweet, which has received more than half a million likes and prompted hundreds of messages further backing the athlete.

USA Gymnastics said her decision to withdraw from the two events was made "out of an abundance of caution for her mental and physical well-being."

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CEO Li Li Leung praised her "bravery and selflessness."

On Monday, Biles had written on Instagram that she felt "the weight of the world" on her shoulders.

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"I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn't affect me but damn sometimes it's hard," she said.

Biles will be evaluated daily by team doctors before deciding whether to contest her four individual gymnastics events from August 1-3.

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