Simone Biles, who was scratched from the women’s team competition and withdrew from the all-around event final after struggling with her ability to sense where she is in the air, will compete in the event final for the balance beam on Tuesday.
USA Gymnastics confirmed that Biles will be joined by all-around gold medalist Suni Lee on the balance beam on Tuesday.
Biles, 24, won five medals at the 2016 Rio Games and was expected to win at least that many here before she felt the onset of a phenomenon that gymnasts call “the twisties,” which leaves them unable to sense where they are when they twist. That uncertainty could lead them to change their form and result in potentially dangerous falls.
Biles withdrew in the middle of the team competition on Tuesday and did not compete in the all-around final. MyKayla Skinner took Biles’ place on the vault and won a silver medal on Sunday. Lee won bronze on the uneven bars.
Skinner told reporters Sunday that she believed Biles would compete on the balance beam, but an official announcement did not come until nearly 24 hours later.
Times columnist Helene Elliott contributed to this report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.