Simone Biles WILL go for Olympic gold as she announces she will take part in Tuesday's beam final in Tokyo after pulling out of three individual events and the team final
Simone Biles will make one last bid for Olympic glory in Tuesday evening's balance beam final when she will compete for the first time since dropping out of the team and three individual finals because of mental health issues.
USA Gymnastics confirmed that the 24-year-old will join all-around champion Sunisa Lee, 18, in the balance beam competition, posting the news on Twitter just minutes before Biles watched her teammate Jade Carey soar to gold in the floor exercise final.
'We are so excited to confirm that you will see two US athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow,' the statement read.
'Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can't wait to watch you both!'
The news suggests that Biles has managed to work through the mental health struggles which prompted her to pull out of the finals for the vault, floor exercise, and uneven bars - all of which she was expected to medal in.
Instead, Biles has taken on the role of cheerleader and spectator throughout each of the finals, including the floor exercise event on Monday, during which she was seen clapping and yelling while Carey, 21, competed in the Ariake Gymnastics Center.
After Jade performed her floor routine, Simone removed her face mask, screamed loudly and warmly applauded the athlete - whom she was supposed to have been competing against.
Simone Biles (pictured today) will get one last chance to leave Tokyo with a gold medal after it was announced she will be competing in Tuesday's beam final
Biles was pictured in the Ariake Gymnastics Centre on Monday next to MyKayla Skinner (center) and Grace McCallum (right) to cheer teammate Jade Carey to a gold medal on floor
USA Gymnastics confirmed Biles will compete on Tuesday alongside Suni Lee in the beam final
At the Rio 2016 Olympics, Biles had to settle for a bronze medal on the balance beam, having made a major error during her routine, which had been expected to win her the gold.
Her decision to take part in the same final in Tokyo will give her the chance to get a second shot at the gold, as well as giving gymnastics fans one last chance to see the GOAT compete.
Biles donned a black face mask as she celebrated Carey's success on floor
Tuesday's attempt at gold will be Biles' last appearance at the Olympics - which have seen the gymnast going through a troubling struggle with poor mental health, leading her to drop out of four competitions.
The news marked the beginning of a very positive day for Team USA's gymnasts, which was made all the more sweet by Carey's victory on the floor.
Following her gold medal win, the newly-crowned floor exercise champion took the time to celebrate her teammate's return to competition, telling DailyMail.com: ‘I’m really proud of her for coming back.
‘She has been through a lot. So I’m really happy and proud that she is coming back tomorrow on the beam.’
Biles has stressed that being aged 24 and the oldest member of the US women's team has added to her anxieties and is one of the reasons 'the demons' have affected her in Tokyo.
Simone, one of the greatest all time Olympic gymnasts, will be 27 when the next games are staged in Paris in 2024.
She said she had lost confidence and worried about competing and was suffering the 'twisties' which hamper the ability to maintain any awareness in the air, and can therefore result in serious injury.
Speaking about Biles' decision to compete, her teammate Mykayla Skinner explained that she has managed to re-work her beam routine in order to eliminate skills that require a twist, including her signature dismount.
'[On] beam you're not really doing much twisting things, it's just skills,' the 24-year-old told the Today show. 'She's been able to work a double pike and try different things... so no twisties for her!'
USA Gymnastics said on Sunday that Biles had withdrawn from Monday's floor exercise final, which was one of the four golds that she had won in Rio in 2016, and would make a decision about her last scheduled final on the beam later this week.
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