Olympian Dominique Moceanu shares support for Simone Biles: 'We have a say in our own health'

Former Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu shared support for Simone Biles on Wednesday after Biles withdrew from multiple competitions at the Tokyo Games to focus on her health.

Moceanu shared a video on social media of her when she was 14 and fell during the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, hitting her head on a balance beam. The moment came after she had already suffered a stress fracture in her tibia.

“I was 14 y/o w/ a tibial stress fracture, left alone w/ no cervical spine exam after this fall,” Moceanu shared on multiple social media platforms. “I competed in the Olympic floor final minutes later.”

Moceanu said Biles' decision "demonstrates that we have a say in our own health – a ‘say’ I NEVER felt I had as an Olympian."

Biles, considered the best gymnast in history, withdrew from the all-around gymnastics competition on Wednesday after withdrawing from the team final the day before.

The five-time Olympic medalist said as she exited the competitions that she has been struggling with her mental health and “the twisties,” a dangerous circumstance where a gymnast can lose their awareness in the air.

Moceanu on social media warned that the condition can be “catastrophic” for a gymnast.

“In our sport, we essentially dive into a pool w/ no water. When you lose your ability to find the ground — which appears to be part of @Simone_Biles decision — the consequences can be catastrophic,” Moceanu shared.

“She made the right decision for the team & herself,” she added.

Biles told reporters this week that she was choosing to step away from the competition because “it just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat to work on my mindfulness.”

“I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job, and I didn't want to risk the team a medal... because they've worked way too hard for that,” she said.

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The gymnast has received an avalanche of support from other former and current Olympians.

Swimming legend Katie Ledecky this week said she understands Biles’s decision to exit the competition.

“We’re at the highest level, we have the most eyes on us of anyone in the world right now,” Ledecky said. “I’m not just saying us as in Simone and me, I’m saying everyone at the Olympics. I mean everyone around the world is watching. Certainly, Simone has so many eyes on her and the cameras follow you around. I experienced that on days like today.

“You can feel like a lot of people are watching you and that every move you make is being watched and judged and all those things,” she added.

Biles on Wednesday thanked those who supported her decision. "The outpouring love & support I’ve received has made me realize I’m more than my accomplishments and gymnastics which I never truly believed before," she shared on Twit

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Simone Biles: Dominique Moceanu shares support after gymnast withdraws