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Athletes send support to Simone Biles after she withdraws from gymnastics team final

Simone Biles withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics team gymnastics competition on Tuesday after an awkward, low-scoring attempt on vault that was far from what Biles fans are used to seeing.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist said afterward she was "not in the right headspace" and decided to step back from the competition so that the U.S. team could reach the podium, which it did with a silver.

It was a shocking development for the star of the Olympics and for fans who woke up in the states to the news. Her family, fellow athletes and more took to social media to voice support for Biles' decision and wish her well going forward. Biles said she will be working on her mental health over the next few days and hopes to be ready to compete in the individual all-around on Thursday.

Her sister, Adria, and brother, Ron, noted the moment on Twitter.

Aly Raisman, Biles' former teammate at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, told the Today Show that she felt "sick to her stomach" after hearing about Biles' withdrawal.

“I think that Simone is the biggest story going into the Olympics, so this is just — it’s really, really devastating,” Raisman said. “But I think it’s also just really important to think about how much pressure has been on her, and there’s only so much that someone can take. She’s human, and I think sometimes people forget that. And Simone, just like everyone else, is doing the best that she can.”

Another of Biles' 2016 Olympic teammates, Laurie Hernandez, told the Today Show that Biles may have felt like she had to carry the entire team on her shoulders.

"When something like this happens, there's just immense pressure [and] this feeling of, 'I don't want to let my team down,'" Hernandez said.

"There is so much pressure on this woman to go out and to dominate and win the U.S. all these medals," she said of Biles. "At the end of the day, she is a human being. I'm really proud of her."

Former gymnast Kerri Strug knows what it's like to compete in the Olympics when you know you shouldn't. Strug, who won all-around gold with Team USA at the 1996 Olympics after performing her final vault on an injured ankle, sent Biles her love.

Olympic gold medalists Michael Phelps, who has joined NBC as a swimming analyst, and Cat Osterman, who won silver this week with the softball team in her final Olympics, acknowledged the pressure that goes into the Games.

Athletes, politicians, celebrities send support to Biles

Other athletes sent their support to Biles throughout the day on Tuesday.

Several politicians also tweeted their best wishes to Simone.

Actress Kerri Washington sent her support.

Joy Taylor and Colin Cowherd, co-hosts of FS1's "The Herd," both defended Biles' decision to withdraw and her status as the undisputed GOAT.

Hoda Kotb of the Today Show spoke with the team in Tokyo after the event. She called Biles a "class act" for her support of her teammates.

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