#Simone Biles was ‘lost in the air’ before devastating Olympics landing

Former US gymnastics Olympian Laurie Hernandez said Simone Biles was “lost in the air” before awkwardly landing her vault Tuesday, leading the 24-year-old to shockingly withdraw from the team final in Tokyo.

“A: That’s crazy,” Hernandez, working as an analyst for Peacock, said of Biles landing in the first place. But, she added, “we can tell she gets lost in the air… and she opens up. You see her head looking to the right. She’s twisting to the right. It looked like she wanted to keep twisting but got lost in the air.”

Biles initially was supposed to do an Amanar, but ended up doing a Yurchenko 3/2 twist.

Biles earned a 13.766 — a low score for the 24-year-old’s standards — and exited the floor with her trainer following the deep vault landing.

She subsequently pulled out of the team final in Tokyo due to the emotional toll of being the Games’ “head star,” she said Tuesday.

Biles’ exit from the competition was initially reported as a “medical issue” in a statement from USA Gymnastics.

“Physically, I feel good, I’m in shape,” Biles told TODAY’s Hoda Kotb after her withdrawal. “Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming to the Olympics and being head star isn’t an easy feat, so we’re just trying to take it one day at a time and we’ll see.”

Hernandez, teammate of Biles at the 2016 Games in Rio, added, “the fact that she landed while getting lost in the air is incredible, first of all. Second of all, this is not something we’ve seen from her.”

Biles indicated in a press conference that she likely will compete in the individual competition later in the week.

Following her exit, Biles’ teammate Jordan Chiles filled in on the uneven bars and the beam. Meanwhile, Biles cheered on her teammates, dressed in white warmup gear.

Team USA managed to still win silver, with the Russian Olympic Committee winning gold. It was the first time the US women’s gymnastics team lost a global team competition since 2010.