Simone Biles said she had the ‘twisties’ after exiting Olympics. Here’s what that means.

Biles, 24, left the arena after the vault where she scored 13.766, her lowest Olympic vault score. She later returned to support her teammates as they claimed silver behind the Russian Olympic Committee.

At first, it was reported that Biles left the team final for a “medical injury.” She later told journalists in a press conference that she was “having a bit of the twisties.”

For those unfamiliar with the sport, it’s a new term. But it sounded an alarm for many former gymnasts who immediately understood what Biles was going through. 

So what are the “twisties?”

Gymnasts flooded social media collectively describing the “twisties” as a kind of mental block where they lost control of their bodies as they spin in the air. 

Catherine Burns, who goes by username @WittyNameChoice on Twitter, shared a detailed explanation of it.

“Once you practice a trick enough you develop the neural pathways that create kinesthesia which leads to muscle memory,” she wrote.

“Your brain remembers how your body feels doing the trick and you gain air awareness.”

Others shared their own experiences with the mental phenomenon, shedding light on the dangerous risks posing Biles had she continued. 

Susie, who goes by @Gymtertainment on Twitter and is followed by Simone Biles, shared a Instagram post from former gymnast Jacoby Miles, whose experience with twisties left her paralyzed after breaking her neck.

“You cannot fix it quickly – can take months, if at all,” wrote Melissa Anne Marlowe or @MissyAMarlowe on Twitter. “It’s like a non-serious stroke, your brain and body disconnect.”

Just imagine.

Something that once took you a while to learn and required a lot of concentration to master, becomes second nature. Then suddenly you lose it— right in the middle of doing it. 

Burns used driving a stick shift as an example. 

“The twisties are like this, and often happen under pressure,” she wrote. 

“You’re working so hard to get it right that you stop trusting your muscle memory. You’re getting lost in the air, second guessing your instincts, overthinking every movement.”

In some sports like basketball, this sudden mental block could mean missing a wide-open layup that costs the game.

But in gymnastics, you’re moving so fast and have very little if any time to adjust. This kind of loss of muscle memory Burns said is not only “scary and unnerving,” but could result in a severe injury, sometimes life-threatening.

“It’s incredibly dangerous even if you’re doing basic gymnastics,” she said. 

But given the magnitude of Biles’ skills and the precision in which they are accomplished, the risks can be even greater. 

Biles performs some of the world’s hardest skills, including a double-twisting double tuck dismount off beam and a triple-twisting double tuck on floor. 

She became the first woman to execute the Yurchenko Double Pike vault, which is one of the four signature moves named after the U.S. gymnast. 

Video: Laura Duclos

To execute these moves safely, Biles told the Washington Post, “you have to be there 100 percent or 120 percent, because if you’re not the slightest bit, you can get hurt.”

In the Olympic team final Tuesday, she planned to perform a 2 1/2 twisting vault, but instead her mind stalled after just 1 1/2 twists. 

She later told reporters in Tokyo, she had no idea where she was in the air.

“I could have hurt myself,” she said.

“It’s so big, it’s the Olympic Games. At the end of the day, we don’t want to be carried out of there on a stretcher.”

Many were shocked to learn of the four-time Olympic gold medalist’s exit. Some criticized her for backing out, including a Texas politician who called it a “childish national embarrassment.”

Many supporters and former gymnasts clapped back, slamming naysayers for criticizing Biles’ mental toughness and calling her a quitter.

Biles retweeted the post.

The criticism was largely drowned by an outpouring of love and support from fellow athletes, celebrities and fans who praised her courage.

NBA All-Star and Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum slammed someone for calling Simone Biles a “selfish sociopath” and a “shame to the country.”

Former first lady Michelle Obama chimed in on Twitter, giving Simone Biles kudos for putting herself first.