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Two Years After Simone Biles’s Twisties Issue, 17-Year-Old Gymnast Also Confesses to Losing Control of Her Body

Published 05/13/2023, 8:30 AM EDT

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2021 pushed the world of gymnastics went into a state of shock. Gymnastics queen Simone Biles had pulled out of two events at the Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health issues. Comrades Biles and 17-year-old Joscelyn Roberson connected over “the weirdest feeling that encircles twisties, a phenomenon wherein a gymnast loses the sync between mind and body.

Joscelyn Roberson, the two-time gold medalist at the Cairo World Cup, admitted to sustaining mental blocks multiple times. Apparently, Roberson and Biles have had many discussions about it in the past.

Simone Biles and Joscelyn Roberson open up on Twisties

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Athlete, Joscelyn Roberson has recently revealed her many discussions with Simone Biles about this persistent problem she has been facing. She told the Olympics, “We’ve talked about the twisties a lot because I’ve gotten them countless times,” referring to her and Biles’s conversations. Roberson, who trains at the World Champions Centre, the Houston gym owned by Biles, found a comfortable space in discussing this strange phenomenon with the all-time legend.

She continued, “She was just telling me how it was the weirdest feeling and how she didn’t feel in control of her body. I was like, ‘I know exactly what you’re talking about.”‘ Roberson recalled how Biles opened up to her, and she understood the situation completely. Biles had to drop out of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 due to her twisties, despite winning an Olympic silver medal at the women’s artistic team all-around event.

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Her withdrawal then sparked a huge debate on mental health in the sporting world. But little was known about this condition outside of the gymnastics and athletics world.

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Roberson feels she is not the only one

The twisties generally occur to gymnasts as they are in the air most of the time, doing twists and flips. n the worst cases, the condition dwindles the safety of their landings. Discussing this phenomenon with Biles gave Roberson the confidence to keep forging on. She continued, “Talking about the twisties with her made me feel like I wasn’t the only one who got the twisties.”

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At only 17 years of age, Roberson, who has already won double gold medals at the Apparatus World Cup in the FIG Cup Series, has a bright and prosperous career ahead. With the right guidance, mentorship, and a healthy conversation about her twisties with Biles, she might learn from the best, overcome this phenomenon and do wonders at the next year’s Paris Olympics.

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Watch This Story – Simone Biles Shows Off Her Support For Jonathan Owens In A Customized Outfit

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Written by:

Tanmay Roy

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Tanmay Roy is a sports writer at EssentiallySports specializing in his coverage of the Olympics and other major American sporting events. His passion for sports was ignited by the early achievements of Michael Phelps, Pete Sampras, and John McEnroe. As a writer for EssentiallySports, Tanmay's articles have been recognized as Editor's Picks, showcasing his ability to craft engaging and thought-provoking stories.
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Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa