Texas Deputy Attorney General, Aaron Reitz, has criticized Simone Biles’s choice to withdraw from the team finals after one rotation. Biles stated that she wasn’t mentally prepared.
Reitz shared a tweet from another user of a 1996 performance by gymnast Kerri Strug’s. It displayed Strug winning a gold medal despite having an ankle injury.
“Contrast this with our selfish, childish national embarrassment, Simone Biles,” Reitz wrote.
While her team lead the U.S. to silver, Biles cheered from the sidelines.
On Wednesday, Biles told the world that she wouldn’t be defending her Olympic title and pulled out of Thursday’s all-around competition.
Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, posted a tweet supporting Biles and denouncing Reitz’s comment. He stated that Reitz’s tweet was inappropriate and insensitive, and it would be handled internally.
“Mental health is far more important than an athletic competition, and I fully support her decision,” Paxton stated.
