It hasn’t been long since the sporting world went crazy after gymnastics GOAT Simone Biles pulled out of two events at the Tokyo Olympics, citing mental health issues. She later stated that she had, what is known in the gymnastics world, as “Twisties”. Now, 17-year-old Joscelyn Roberson, who recently won 2 gold medals at the Cairo World Cup, has come out, and spoken about facing the same issue.
Twisties, in gymnastics terminology, are a sort of mental block that may cause a gymnast to lose their sense of space and dimension as they’re in the air. Roberson recently talked about how she and Biles have had many discussions about it in the past.
Simone Biles and Joscelyn Roberson have talked about this phenomenon
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Joscelyn Roberson has recently revealed her many discussions with Simone Biles about this persistent problem. 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 an 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.
The side-effects of twisties
The twisties generally occur to gymnasts as they are in the air most of the time, doing twists and flips during their performance. This mental condition makes them do more flips than usual, and in the worst cases, they don’t even land safely. 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, proper mentorship, and a good healthy talk about her twisties with Biles, she might learn from the best and do wonders at the next year’s Paris Olympics.
