Simone Biles’ longtime coach reveals second ‘twisties’ saga

Simone Biles’ former coach revealed that the superstar gymnast experienced the “twisties” ahead of the 2016 Rio Olympics, according to ESPN.

Aimee Boorman, who coached Biles from age 7 through the Rio Olympics, writes in her new book, “The Balance: My Years Coaching Simone Biles,” which releases Tuesday, that Biles “couldn’t twist — on basically anything” in January 2016, seven months before the Summer Games.

Biles took a two-year hiatus from gymnastics after she backed out of multiple events at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021 following the twisties, an emotional block when a gymnast loses control of their body while twisting in the air that could potentially result in serious injury.

Boorman’s book reveals that Biles experienced the twisties more than once for the first time publicly.

“Yep, before Simone introduced the world to the twisties in 2021, she had experienced this proprioception phenomenon in January of 2016,” Boorman writes. “When this happens to a gymnast who is flipping ten-plus feet in the air and they lose body awareness in space and time — not knowing if they’re going to land on their back, feet or head — it’s much more dangerous [than the “yips” in baseball or golf].”

Boorman said she first noticed Biles was feeling pressure at her third world championships in Glasgow, Scotland in October 2015, and by three months, she couldn’t twist.

Biles “would physically stop herself from twisting during her routines because she was afraid of getting lost in the air,” Boorman writes. “Simone would never crash; she would just stop herself before ever attempting a twist.”

Boorman went on to explain that she was patient with Biles and constantly reassured her that she believed in her.

“She was already the back-to-back-to-back world champion,” Boorman wrote, adding that she spoke with Biles’ parents and therapist about what she was experiencing in the sport. “Simone knew how to twist.

“Simone needed time, support and reassurance that I believed in her.”

Biles overcame the twisties in time for Olympic qualifying in 2016.

She competed for the first time at the Pacific Rim Championships in Everett, Wash., that April and won the all-around.

Four months later in Rio, Biles became the first American gymnast to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

Biles, who wrote the book’s foreword, recalled her former coach always having her best interest at heart.

“Coach Aimee and I have a special bond,” Biles wrote. “She always did what was best for her athletes personally, even if someone told her it might not work. … Coach Aimee understands that every athlete works, processes instruction and learns differently, and she caters to that.”

Biles dealt with the twisties in Tokyo amid mental health struggles and withdrew from the individual all-around competition.

She returned for the balance beam final and won a bronze medal, tying Shannon Miller’s record for most Olympic medals by an American female gymnast.

Biles secured four medals at the Paris Olympics last summer and became the most decorated American gymnast in the history of the Olympic Games.

Boorman’s “The Balance” is available on Tuesday.