The world has come to expect nothing less than breathtaking perfection when Simone Biles launches herself rocket-like over the vault.
So the fleeting expression of disbelief that crossed the champion gymnast's face as she completed the less than perfect move during the women's team final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday was shared by all.
Here in the US, the NBC commentator, who only seconds earlier had been piling on the superlatives, was silent as Biles lost control in mid-air, failed to complete her intended two-and-a-half twists and then stumbled as she landed.
'Wow,' was all he could say.
And it was 'wow' indeed as the 24-year-old superstar didn't just walk away from the vault, but from the team event – in which she was captain – saying she wasn't mentally prepared to compete and was battling 'demons'.
Biles's departure not only left the US without its top-scoring gymnast but, in a plot twist worthy of Hollywood, allowed bitter rivals Russia to take gold.
Appearing on US TV yesterday, her team mates defended her decision to 'focus on her mental health', insisting she is 'not a quitter'.
The world has come to expect nothing less than breathtaking perfection when Simone Biles launches herself rocket-like over the vault. So the fleeting expression of disbelief that crossed the champion gymnast's face as she completed the less than perfect move during the women's team final at the Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday was shared by all
However, two of them, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum admitted they'd been left on the 'verge of tears' at the consequences. Chiles had to compete in two additional events – the asymmetric bars and the beam – to fill the gap left by Biles, while another team mate, Sunisa Lee, replaced her on the floor. And if they were subtly signalling that they had mixed feelings about Biles's decision, they were hardly alone.
The withdrawal of a gymnast who has won some 30 Olympic and world championship medals has sparked a fierce debate over the impact that 'mental health' is having on sport.
While Biles's supporters have hailed her for shining a spotlight on the issue, others have accused her of selfish and prima donna behaviour.
Some critics also point to the fact that Biles appears to be having her Olympic cake and eating it – deserting the team event and individual all-around finals but, as of last night, leaving it open that she might compete in the individual events next week.
Biles is going to 'take things day by day' before committing to compete in any of them. She intends to focus on her 'wellbeing', insisting that she pulled out so as not to jeopardise her team's medal chances if she messed up again.
And it was 'wow' indeed as the 24-year-old superstar didn't just walk away from the vault, but from the team event – in which she was captain – saying she wasn't mentally prepared to compete and was battling 'demons'
'I just don't trust myself as much as I used to,' she added. 'I don't know if it's age, but I'm a little bit more nervous when I do gymnastics. I feel like I'm also not having as much fun, and I know that this Olympic Games I wanted to do it for myself, and I was still doing it for other people, so that just hurts my heart badly, that doing what I love has been taken away.'
She is not the first elite athlete to cite mental health issues in the heat of competition. Naomi Osaka, the Japanese tennis star and 'face of the Tokyo Games' who lit the cauldron at the opening ceremony, pulled out of the French Open in May. She later
