Aly Raisman Says Simone Biles Showed Bravery by Withdrawing from Olympic Final

Aly Raisman praised her former United States women's national gymnastics teammate Simone Biles in the wake of her decision to remove herself from the team final at the Tokyo Olympics to prioritize her mental health.

"It is so much pressure," Raisman told ESPN's Michele Steele. "It's the most pressure I've ever seen on a gymnast and maybe even Olympic athlete, and I can't imagine how hard it is for her.

"I'm very proud of Simone, and I can't imagine the bravery that it takes to just say, 'I'm not going to do it today.'"

Biles spoke with reporters after Team USA took the silver medal regarding her decision.

Many people praised Biles following her decision.

Biles is one of the most decorated and accomplished athletes in sports history, routinely dazzling fans with mind-bending moves and routines.

But Biles' decision was a stark reminder that she's human and must also look after herself in the wake of immense adversity and pressure to perform at a peak level.

"At the end of the day, we're human too," Biles said after withdrawing, per Will Graves of the Associated Press.

"So, we have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do."

Biles owns 25 gold medals on the world stage: four in the Olympics, 19 in the World Championships and two in the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup. She owns 34 world medals overall (25 gold, five silver, four bronze).