Olympics

Simone Biles will not be defending her gold medal in the all-around final at the Tokyo Games -- the Olympics superstar has backed out of the competition to continue to focus on her mental health.

24-year-old Biles -- who withdrew from the team finals on Tuesday -- underwent further medical evaluation following the event ... and it was determined it was best she sat out Thursday's finals, USA Gymnastics said in a statement.

Biles was the heavy favorite to win the event ... which would have secured the 5th gold medal of her career.

It may not be the end of Biles' Olympic run, however -- there's still a chance she returns to compete in the individual events next week ... but the team says it all depends on the results of her daily evaluations.

"We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being," USAG said. "Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many."

Biles absolutely crushed the competition at the 2016 Rio Games ... posting a 62.366 score, with teammate Aly Raisman taking silver with a 60.607.

McKayla Maroney says the "body glitches" that Simone Biles is currently experiencing could end the gymnastics legend's career ... explaining "a lot of gymnasts actually quit because of these mental blocks."

The 2012 Olympic gold medalist spelled it all out in a powerful video on her social media page Tuesday ... saying she's been in Biles' shoes before, and it's not fun at all.

"I've had a lot of experience with these mental blocks," Maroney said. "They are miserable. They are a gymnast's worst nightmare and they can end your career."

Maroney says during one of her experiences with the body yips ... she actually got seriously hurt, falling off a balance beam and ending up in a pool of tears with a concussion.

Maroney explained the blocks are caused by stress, depression and pressure ... but added they can come out of nowhere for even the best gymnasts too.

"Like, you can't even understand them," Maroney said. "Like, 'Why is this happening to me? I don't know why my body is doing something different.'"

The 25-year-old then went on to praise Biles for having the mental strength to pull out of Tokyo Olympic events over the issues.

"She was smart to protect her body and her mind," Maroney said. "Because it's more important. It just is."

Many other Olympians -- both current and past -- feel the same way as McKayla ... Michael Phelps also threw his support behind Biles on Tuesday.

"We’re human beings, nobody is perfect," the swimming legend said. "It's OK to not be OK. It's OK to go through ups and downs and emotional roller coasters."

"I felt like I was carrying, as Simone said, the weight of the world on my shoulders. It's a tough situation."

Added swimming star Katie Ledecky ... "I really hope that she continues to do what’s best for her and that the people around her, her coaches, her teammates, continue to support her."

Skateboarding superstar Nyjah Huston says he understands the pressure Simone Biles is going through at the Olympics ... telling TMZ Sports people need to realize athletes are human, not emotionless robots.

Biles shockingly withdrew from the gymnastics team finals on Tuesday ... citing her struggles with mental health affecting her performance.

Huston -- who just landed on U.S. soil after competing for Team USA at the Tokyo Games this week -- can relate to the expectations of being the best in a sport ... and tells us it's never easy to have to live up to crazy expectations.

"We’re human you know," Huston said at LAX. "It happens sometimes and dealing with being number one and dealing with all that pressure and nervousness, it’s a real thing. It’s a real thing.

"I feel like sometimes people see us as like robots and out there expecting to win every time. But, in reality, that’s not how it is, and it’s not that easy."

26-year-old Huston -- who placed 7th in the men's street skateboarding event -- adds he wishes he could have finished higher in his first Olympics ... but leaves the door open on competing in 2024.

"Obviously, I wish I could have done better, landed a couple more tricks, but still an honor to be out there representing the USA."

Simone Biles made the right decision pulling out of Olympic competition, 'cause mental health's more important than winning, so says U.S. gymnastics legend Dominique Dawes.

"This young generation of athletes, they are trusting their inner voice and they’re speaking out and they’re saying, 'I am unhealthy,' or 'I’m feeling unhealthier, this environment is unhealthy for me,'" Dawes tells TMZ Sports.

The 3-time Olympian (1 gold, 3 bronze medals) continued ... "And, they’re making decisions based off of their overall long-term health. I think that is the wisest thing that this young 24-year-old could do."

Biles -- a 4x gold medalist -- ignited a firestorm of debate when she bowed out of the medal round of team gymnastics competition ... after saying she was dealing with immense stress in Tokyo.

Dominique says anyone who isn't buying the existence of pressure is flat-out wrong ... 'cause she literally lived it before competing in the Summer Games in Atlanta.

"You know, I feel for her and I feel for her teammates as well. I can definitely relate to the level of pressure that she was feeling. That’s what I felt going into the 1996 Olympic Games."

Dominque ended up winning a gold medal in the team competition ... but it was extremely difficult.

"I felt [pressure] and prior to marching out in the Olympics at the Georgia Dome, I had a little bit of a mental breakdown myself. I remember crying, I remember being overwhelmed and that’s something I went through a lot during my career."

But, Dawes says these games are different because of COVID. No friends and family means no support system for Biles -- who is scheduled to compete in the individual competition on Thursday.

Question is, will she feel well enough to perform? Dawes ... and almost everybody else sure hopes so.

"Hopefully if Simone is up for it and she’s capable mentally, physically, emotionally to get back there for all-around finals, you know, we’ll be there to cheer her on."

Simone Biles has withdrawn from the gymnastics team finals in Tokyo -- the Olympic superstar is dealing with a "medical issue" that has forced her to back out of the event, officials say.

There are conflicting reports on what caused Biles -- quite possibly the greatest gymnast of all time -- to leave the competition. The 24-year-old appeared to suffer an injury early in the event, but the NBC's broadcast stated a coach claimed her withdrawal was due to a "mental issue."

USA Gymnastics released a statement Tuesday morning ... saying, "Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue. She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."

Biles seemingly injured her leg after landing her vault attempt ... speaking with a trainer and leaving the floor before returning with her right leg wrapped.

It's crushing news for Team USA -- the Red, White and Blue were favorites to take home the gold for the third-straight Games.

Biles spoke out about the pressure to succeed after prelims on Monday ... saying, "I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times."

"I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The olympics is no joke! BUT I’m happy my family was able to be with me virtually🤍 they mean the world to me!"

There's still hope for the 4-time gold medalist -- she could possibly be recovered in time for the all-around finals on Thursday.

Wyoming born wrestler Rulon Gardner inspired the world in 2000 when he traveled to Sydney, Australia to represent Team USA as a heavy-weight Greco-Roman wrestler to compete (and defeat) the unstoppable Russian Aleksandr Karelin in the finals and to take home the gold medal in one of the greatest moments in Olympics history!

That Olympic victory wasn't the most challenging part of Rulon's life ... he also battled through frostbite and hypothermia after a snowmobile accident in 2002 and an airplane crash into a lake in Utah in 2007.

Gardner continues to inspire the world ... but as a motivational speaker!

An Olympic gymnast made a powerful statement during her floor routine this weekend ... by getting on one knee and holding up her fist as a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement.

18-year-old Luciana Alvarado is the first Costa Rican gymnast to EVER qualify for the Olympics ... and used her platform to shine a light on the fight for equality.

Of course, the International Olympic Committee is allowing athletes to demonstrate at the 2020 Games in Tokyo ... as long as it's not at a medal ceremony or during competition.

Alvarado found of a loophole by including the gesture into her performance ... saying she wanted to send a message of "the importance of everyone treated with respect and dignity and everyone having the same rights."

Alvarado says it's special to use her stage to show those fighting for equality that she stands in solidarity with them.

"Because we’re all the same," Alvarado said, according to the AP. "And we’re all beautiful and amazing."

P!nk says she's proud of the Norwegian women's beach handball team for standing up against the "very sexist rules" about their uniforms ... and she's offering to pay their fines for the protest.

The singer-songwriter went even further with her support too ... by calling on the European Handball Federation to instead be "fined for sexism" for levying financial penalties last week against the women.

ICYMI ... the ladies from Norway made a statement on their sport's uniform double standards last week by wearing shorts during a game instead of the required bikini bottoms.

The team had reportedly been planning the protest for weeks -- as you can see, the men are not required to wear uniforms nearly as revealing as the women -- and it resulted in each player getting fined around $177 each.

A robot basketball player has made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics -- and it turns out, the thing is pretty damn good at shooting baskets ... almost scary good. Actually, just scary.

Check out this robot that Tokyo officials rolled out Sunday for what appears to be a halftime show during a basketball game there between Team USA and France ... which the U.S. ended up losing 83-76.

Besides that news, reporter Ann Killion captured the real headline-grabber ... and that would be this hunk of metal slowly and inartfully sinking shots from a fair distance -- including one basket it made from half-court!

Watch the clip ... the robot starts by swishing a 3-pointer, this after lining it up perfectly and eventually launching the ball straight through the net. Then, it heads down to the mid-court logo, where it does the same thing -- picking the ball up by itself, and then chucking it.

Sure enough, that ball goes through as well. Obviously, the robot can get buckets, and even though it's slow to the draw ... it's clearly quite accurate. Shoot, maybe Team USA shoulda recruited this thing to be one of their wingmen! They sure needed the help.

All jokes aside ... the fact this robot can actually make its way up and down the floor and put up shots on its own is pretty incredible. It's a testament to technology, but also ... perhaps a sign of what may come in the future. Who's to say they won't make a full-blown team of robots one day???

Considering what Boston Dynamics is doing with their robots and how far they've come in making them move seamlessly, like humans, something tells us that possibility is one that could come about. We certainly have the tech to do it -- but do we actually wanna???

Gymnastics legend Dominique Dawes is keepin' it real ... telling TMZ Sports Simone Biles would've SMOKED her in competition -- even during her prime!!

"Biles is unreal," the 3-time Olympian says. "She is so talented, and I am so grateful that I’m retired because I would have just not even had a chance going up against this young girl."

It's high praise, considering Dawes is a gymnast icon -- remember, she was part of the famous Magnificent Seven Olympic team in 1996, and she also won silver and bronze medals at World Championships in the '90s.

She and teammate Betty Okino were also the first African-American females to win the Olympic gold in gymnastics.

But, despite that resume ... Dawes says she just flat-out wouldn't stand a chance against Simone.

And, she might not be wrong -- after all, Biles has been killin' it, and is the favorite to take home some golden hardware in Tokyo this summer, especially if she hits her Yurchenko double pike move -- a twist that Dawes says is absolutely insane!

"I remember when I was maybe fooling around in the gym once with one of the National Team coaches and he wanted me to try a double," Dawes said. "And, I was like, 'Not going to happen.'"

Dawes added, "Like, it was unheard of, even with a free-foam pit I was unwilling to do it. And yet, she’s doing it almost to perfection, and doing it on a hard landing and even over-rotating it."

Dawes tells us she believes Biles will be "on top of that podium" in this year's Olympics ... beating all types of records -- including her own!

"I mean she’s going to probably surpass what I accomplished." the 44-year-old says.

"But, again I can’t stress the importance of how much I admire her, not for just being an athlete but for her being a spokesperson and activist and recognizing that there’s a lot of changes that need to be made in the sport of gymnastics."

West Virginia athlete Mary Lou Retton was only 16 years old when she became a household name after she made the American gymnastics team and competed in the 1984 Summer Olympics Games held in Los Angeles ... where MLR took home the gold medal in individual all-around, as well as two silver and two bronze medals.

Retton was part of a power-packed squad of young gymnasts including Pamela Bileck, Tracee Talavera, Kathy Johnson, Michelle Dusserre and Julianne McNamara ... who worked together to win the silver medal in the team all-around.

Simone Biles is 6,600 miles from her BF, Jonathan Owens, but that didn't stop her from showing the NFLer some love on his birthday -- with the Team USA superstar sending him an adorable cake day message from the Olympics!!

"Here in Japan it is already my favorite persons birthday 🖤 HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY BABE," Biles said to the Houston Texans safety via IG Thursday.

"Jonathan Owens I love you so much. Can’t wait to celebrate you when I get home!"

The 24-year-old is gunning to make history at the Tokyo Games -- she's gunning to break the record for the most gold medals by a U.S. gymnast -- but there's no way Biles was gonna miss out on giving her man the big shoutout!

The couple have been very supportive of each other's sports careers -- Owens was in the stands to watch Biles compete in person for the first time last month.

"Thanks for keeping me sane during the craziest times. an ear to vent too, someone to share fun times with and make the best of memories," Biles says.

"Not sure how I got so lucky & what I’d do without you! But I hope you have the best day ever. Not too much fun without me tho hahaha."

Biles and Owens made it IG official in August 2020 ... after Biles says she slid in his DMs the month before.

The man in charge of directing Friday's Tokyo Olympics opening ceremony has just been fired hours before the start of the event ... after it was discovered he made a Holocaust joke in 1998.

Kentaro Kobayashi was canned Thursday after video surfaced of him making the wildly gross and inappropriate comment during a comedy act over two decades ago.

In the old clip, Kobayashi reportedly can be heard bringing up the Holocaust and saying, "Let's play the genocide of Jews."

Organizing committee president Seiko Hashimoto said Thursday when the footage was brought to his attention ... he and other officials acted swiftly, removing Kobayashi from his high-ranking role.

"We found out that Mr. Kobayashi, in his own performance, has used a phrase ridiculing a historical tragedy," Hashimoto said.

"We deeply apologize for causing such a development the day before the opening ceremony and for causing troubles and concerns to many involved parties as well as the people in Tokyo and the rest of the country."

48-year-old Kobayashi later released an apology in a statement ... saying, "Entertainment should not make people feel uncomfortable. I understand that my stupid choice of words at that time was wrong, and I regret it."

The troubling news comes just days after one of the composers for the opening ceremony, Keigo Oyamada, pulled out of the event after he admitted to bullying a disabled classmate in the 1990s.

Hashimoto, though, insisted the opening ceremony will go on as planned despite it all ... saying Thursday, "we are going to open the Games tomorrow under this difficult situation."

As we previously reported, spectators will NOT be allowed at the ceremony ... as officials hope empty stadiums will help keep coronavirus from spreading.

Before this smirking sweetheart was flipping out while competing in the Olympic Games, she was just another fruitful cute kid eating an apple in Old Bridge Township, New Jersey.

This beaming baby struck gold when she was coined one of the "Final Five" -- better known as the United States women's artistic gymnastics team -- during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

After returning from her successful athletic achievements in the worldwide event, she also became a public personality when she joined the cast of "Dancing with the Stars" ... and took home the winning trophy there, too!

Olympic athletes are gonna eat GOOOOOD during the Tokyo Games ... 'cause USA volleyball player Erik Shoji gave an official taste test at one of the dining halls this week -- and it looks delicious!!

Of course, Shoji is staying in the Olympic Village ... and says he has two dining options -- main and casual.

For Tuesday's dinner, Shoji picked casual -- which is all Japanese food -- and shared his experience on TikTok ... warning viewers, "watching me eat is CRINGE."

Shoji stuffs his face with teriyaki beef, grilled pork, seasoned corn, okonomiyaki, somen salad and fruit for dessert ... giving a big thumbs up to each course of his meal.

"It's pretty good!!!" Shoji says as he scarfs down the grub.

No word on how good the "main" option is -- but we're sure it's full of American favorites to help the athletes feel at home.

It's a huge sigh of relief to know the athletes don't have a Fyre Fest situation on their hands -- remember the "sandwiches" staff were left eating during that crap show??

The 31-year-old also gave Olympics fans a tour of where he's staying during the Games -- "This is our little living room. Kinda small," Shoji says. "But, the best part is our balcony view!"

There's also a fridge, microwave and snacks -- but no stove.

But, with OV dining like that ... who needs to cook?!

Beary scary situation in Tokyo ... 'cause a wild bear has broken into the Olympic softball stadium -- and it's STILL ON THE LOOSE!!!

Officials in Fukushima are furiously searching for the wild animal with games underway ... after the Asian black bear was spotted twice inside the Azuma Sports Park earlier this week.

Security at the venue is reportedly trying like hell to find and capture the bear -- blaring music on the speakers and even letting off firecrackers in hopes of scaring it out of hiding ... but so far, no bear.

Of course, there are no fans in the stands at the games ... but ya gotta give props to the teams for being brave and still playing!

Fortunately, the bear didn't make an appearance as the opening round kicked off on Tuesday ... but here's hoping all the rest of the games don't get an unexpected visitor!