‘You better be in the right headspace or really bad things are going to happen’: Shannon Miller on Simone Biles’s exit

Shannon Miller, the most decorated U.S. female gymnast in Olympics history, delivered perspective that only a fellow gymnast could give, when it came to Simone Biles’s decision to withdraw from the team final competition Tuesday due to mental health concerns. 

“What I think is really important here is, you have Simone, who clearly knew something wasn’t quite right, and when you are flying and flipping and turning 10, 15 feet above the floor, looking for a landing, you better be in the right headspace or really bad things are going to happen,” Miller said on a Tuesday evening interview on CNBC’s “The News with Shepard Smith.”

Biles said she was not in the right state of mind to continue the competition.

“Physically, I feel good,” she told Hoda Kotb on NBC’s “TODAY” show after she withdrew. “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star of the Olympics isn’t an easy feat. So we’re just trying to take it one day at a time, and we’ll see.”

Miller, who has won a total of seven Olympic medals, underscored to host Shepard Smith that Biles is sending a critical message to the world. 

“I think it’s so important for the message to be sent that it is important to be aware of your body, be aware of your emotional state and your mental state as well. I think that’s a good message for all of us,” Miller said.