The twisties? Gymnasts say they understand why Simone Biles bailed on her vault attempt

Image credit: Tokyo 2020 Olympics – Gymnastics – Artistic – Women's All-Around – Final – Ariake Gymnastics Centre, Tokyo, Japan – July 29, 2021. Simone Biles of the United States watches from the stands. REUTERS/Mike Blake TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

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As Simone Biles bailed on her attempt at a vault with two and a half twists in Tokyo, gymnasts around the world understood why she did it. Coaches and athletes in the sport use the phrase “twisties” in reference to the moments of panic while airborne.

Power Moves Gymnastics & Fitness coach Javasio McShine says he injured himself after such an experience.

Shannon Longworth (Reporter)

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

LONGWORTH: SO APPARENTLY GYMNASTS HAVE A TERM FOR WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY’RE MID AIR AND THEY PANIC. AND THEY BAIL ON AN ATTEMPT. IT’S CALLED THE TWISTIES. AND I’M HERE WITH JAVASIO MCSHINE, WHO CAN EXPLAIN WHAT LIKELY HAPPENED TO SIMONE BILES IN TOKYO THIS WEEK? AND HE KNOWS BECAUSE HE ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED IT HIMSELF AND INJURED HIMSELF THAT WAY. SO WHAT ARE THE TWISTIES?

MCSHINE: THE TWIST IS, IT’S BASICALLY WHEN YOUR, YOUR YOUR BRAIN IS A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF YOUR BODY. AND IT’S LIKE YOU’RE TRYING, YOU’RE TRYING TO DO ONE THING, BUT YOUR BRAIN IS DOING SOMETHING ELSE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOUR BRAIN IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR BODY. SO IT MAKES YOU DO SOMETHING THAT YOU’RE NOT TRYING TO DO. AND THEN BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT TRYING TO DO THAT PARTICULAR MOVE, YOU GET LOST INTO HERE.

LONGWORTH: IS IT COMMON? OR IS IT KIND OF RARE FOR GYMNAST?

MCSHINE: WELL, IT IS VERY COMMON BECAUSE A LOT OF GYMNASTS HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM. I’VE HAD THIS PROBLEM AS A GYMNAST. AND ACTUALLY TODAY, ONE OF MY GYMNASTS HAD THIS PROBLEM. AND WHEN THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS, YOU HAVE TO BASICALLY START ALL OVER FROM SCRATCH, AND TRY TO RE-LEARN THE SKILL TO RETRAIN YOUR MIND NOT TO TWIST OR NOT TO TWIST AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO.

FOR ME, UM, IT WAS NOT IT WAS NOT LIKE I HAD LIKE A LACK OF CONFIDENCE, OR A MENTAL BLOCK OR ANYTHING. UM, IT WAS JUST, IT JUST HAPPENED IN THE MOMENT WHEN I TOOK OFF. I JUST GOT LOST IN THE AIR. LIKE, I DIDN’T KNOW WHERE I WAS. AND AT THAT MOMENT, YOU’RE JUST LIKE, I HOPE I LAND ON MY FEET. DO YOU FEEL FOR HER? I DO FEEL IT FOR HER. BECAUSE THESE THINGS HAPPEN TO GYMNASTS. AND THEY USUALLY HAPPEN LIKE WHEN YOU’RE IN THE GYM. IT DOESN’T REALLY HAPPEN WHEN YOU’RE AT A COMPETITION. AND IT JUST HAPPENED THAT SHE’S AT A COMPETITION AND NOT JUST A REGULAR COMPETITION, THE BIGGEST COMPETITION OF HER LIFE, THE OLYMPIC GAMES. SO FOR THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW TRAGIC AND DISAPPOINTING IT IS FOR HER.