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An American finished atop the podium Thursday in the women's Olympic gymnastics all-around, just as always.

Sunisa Lee became the fifth straight American woman to claim the Olympic title, edging Rebeca Andrade of Brazil in an entertaining and hotly contested final while defending champion Simone Biles watched from the stands.

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Biles' absence created an opportunity the 24 women who took the floor at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre probably didn't think possible when they landed in Tokyo earlier this month: a legitimate shot at the top of the podium. Biles had won every major international competition since 2013 except the 2017 world championships, which came during the year she took off after her triumph in Rio de Janeiro five years ago.

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Imagine flying through the air, springing off a piece of equipment as you prepare to flip on one axis while twisting on another. It all happens fast, so there’s little time to adjust. You rely on muscle memory, trusting that it’ll work out, because with so much practice, it usually does.

But then suddenly, you’re upside down in midair and your brain feels disconnected from your body. Your limbs that usually control how much you spin have stopped listening, and you feel lost. You hope all the years you’ve spent in this sport will guide your body to a safe landing position.

When Simone Biles pushed off the vaulting table Tuesday, she entered that terrifying world of uncertainty. In the Olympic team final, Biles planned to perform a 2½-twisting vault, but her mind chose to stall after just 1½ twists instead.

“I had no idea where I was in the air,” Biles said. “I could have hurt myself.”

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The twisties are essentially like the yips in other sports. But in gymnastics, the phenomenon affects the athletes when they’re in the air, so the mind-body disconnect can be dangerous, even for someone of Biles’s caliber.

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Originally posted by ShiroKuro

I remain incredibly impressed that Simone Biles had the presence of mind to step away and prioritize her health and safety. She is to me a hero who should be celebrated.

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Simone Biles posted new training videos on Instagram Thursday in an effort to explain why she made the decision to drop out of the Olympic gymnastics team competition and individual all-around this week. And she wasn't afraid to make a statement to those she called "know it alls" commenting on her decision.

"For anyone saying I quit, I didn't quit," a caption read over video of her practicing a dismount from the uneven bars. That's the apparatus she would have performed next had she not withdrawn. "My mind & body are simply not in sync, as you can see here."

The videos have since been deleted, but her answers to several questions sent in from her Instagram followers remain, including elaborating further on the "twisties."

The first video showed Biles flipping and twisting before landing on her back on a soft pad. She notes that she's supposed to do another 1 1/2 twists on the dismount.

"I don't think you realize how dangerous this is on a hard/competition surface. Nor do I have to explain why I put health first. Physical health is mental health."

In a second video, she did another dismount but said she still was a 1/2 twist short.

Then, Biles said that the issue she was having, which she's described as not being in the right "headspace," started after she arrived in Tokyo.

"It randomly started happening after prelims competition the VERY next morning. By that time, NO, an alternate was not allowed to be placed in my position for you 'know it alls.'"

Biles explained that she still has the "twisties," a frightening phenomenon for gymnasts that means one's rhythm is off and the athlete's mind won't allow them to complete a trick.

"Sometimes I can't even fathom twisting. I seriously cannot comprehend how to twist...strangest & weirdest thing as well as feeling," Biles described. When asked how long it's taken in the past for her to recover, the 24-year-old said it varies but has typically been 2 or more weeks when she's had them before.

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A Belarusian sprinter voiced fears for her safety as she refused an order to fly home early from the Olympics for criticising her coaches.

Krystsina Tsimanouskaya says she was forced to pack before being taken to the airport in Tokyo against her will.

The 24-year-old says she sought police protection at the terminal so she would not have to board the flight.

"I think I am safe. I am with the police," she was heard saying, as she was pictured surrounded by officers.