Simone Biles confronted the twisties, a terrifying mental block that disrupted her spatial awareness in the air, and fought back with methodical training, expert support, and resilient mindset work. Her journey highlights how elite gymnasts can reclaim confidence when their brain suddenly doubts basic skills.
Below is a structured overview of the core elements that helped her identify, manage, and ultimately overcome the twisties while protecting her health and competitive drive.
| Challenge | Strategy | Outcome | Key Supporters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loss of air awareness | Reduced difficulty & regressions | Stable landings in practice | Coaches, sports psychologists |
| Fear during elite routines | Mental skills training | Improved focus under pressure | Performance psychology team |
| Physical and emotional fatigue | Controlled training load | Fewer bad reps, more consistent progress | Medical and therapy staff |
| Pressure to return at highest level | Phased return to competition | Confidence rebuild with lower risk | Team USA medical and coaching staff |
Understanding the twisties in elite gymnastics
The twisties refer to a sudden disconnect between the body and the brain during rotation, where a gymnast loses precise spatial orientation in the air. For Simone Biles, this manifested as mistimed flips and uncertain landings in high-stress moments, shaking her sense of control. Rather than viewing it as a permanent flaw, her team framed the twisties as a treatable performance barrier rooted in stress, fatigue, and neural protection.
Prioritizing safety and health first
Simone Biles made the controversial decision to step back from competition to protect her mental and physical health, publicly acknowledging that winning was not worth long-term harm. She reduced immediate competitive demands and focused on rebuilding trust in her body through low-risk drills and slow progressions. This period of lower intensity created space for deliberate practice and honest conversations with her support network.
Rebuilding skills with structured regressions
Under the guidance of experienced coaches, Biles returned to basics by breaking twisting skills into smaller segments and using spotting belts, pits, and foam pits to reinforce correct shapes. Each drill emphasized consistent takeoff positions, clear visual cues, and controlled landings so that her nervous system could gradually relearn safe movement patterns. Repetition with low stakes helped replace fear with measurable, repeatable technique.
Mental skills and psychological support
Visualization and breathing techniques
Sports psychologists worked with Simone Biles on imagery sessions that mapped every phase of a twist, from run to landing, while practicing controlled breathing to lower physiological arousal. These mental rehearsals, paired with mindfulness exercises, helped her stay present instead of spiraling into worst-case scenarios during training and competition.
Staged return to top-level competition
Rather than rushing back into high-pressure meets, Biles followed a carefully designed progression that started with exhibition performances and non-medal event finals. Each stage introduced more competitive context while keeping difficulty at a manageable level, allowing her to collect evidence that she could execute twists with consistency. This gradual exposure rebuilt confidence without overwhelming her system.
Key takeaways for long term resilience
- Address both physical and mental load to reduce twisties triggers.
- Use staged progressions and regressions to rebuild technical confidence.
- Integrate visualization and breathing drills into daily training.
- Maintain open communication with coaches, medical, and psychological staff.
- Define success by consistency and safety, not only by medal outcomes.
FAQ
Reader questions
How did Simone Biles recognize the twisties were affecting her routines?
She noticed inconsistent rotations, unusual hesitations before skills, and unexpected under-rotations in her passes, which her coaches correlated with spikes in stress and fatigue during high-stakes training.
What role did mental skills training play in her recovery from the twisties?
Visualization, breathing, and mindfulness helped her manage fear, improve timing perception in the air, and maintain focus on technical cues rather than outcome pressure.
Why was competition scaled back instead of increased during treatment of the twisties?
Lower competitive volume and reduced difficulty minimized bad reps, lowered injury risk, and created a safer environment for rebuilding neural trust in complex twisting sequences.
Who was part of Simone Biles' support team while she overcame the twisties?
Coaches, a sports psychologist, a physician, physical therapists, and trusted family and teammate mentors collaborated to align training plans, mental strategies, and health monitoring.