An Olympic gold medalist says Simone Biles "really needs to check herself."
Henry Cejudo, who won the freestyle-wrestling event at the 2008 Beijing Games, posted a video to his social media in which he analyzed the situation of the 24-year-old Biles, who entered the Tokyo Olympics as the most decorated American gymnast, one of the most dominant athletes alive, and a contender for several podium finishes.
Since posting a shaky vault in the team all-around final, Biles has withdrawn from that event as well as the individual all-around, the vault, the uneven bars, and the floor exercise. Her status for the balance beam, the last Olympic event she can compete in, is undetermined.
She appears to be struggling to overcome a case of the "twisties," as she said on Instagram that she "cannot comprehend how to twist right now."
"It's honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync," she said.
There has been an outpouring of support for Biles and how she's prioritizing her well-being over competition.
But Cejudo said in the video that Biles was getting in her own way.
"I think there's time for a little bit of tough love," Cejudo, who went on to win an MMA championship in the UFC, said.
The 34-year-old, now retired from competition, added: "I do believe sometimes we do need a nice kick in the arse."
He continued: "People say the media created her and you know they put upon this pressure. Not really.
"They only give you a platform. It's up to you to believe it and to accept it. If you start to think you're the GOAT and the greatest of all time, then that's on you."
In Cejudo's view, withdrawing from Olympic events was a mistake for Biles; he said Biles would come to realize that "a lot of things are backfiring."
"There's two things that pressure can do," he said. "Pressure could either break, or it could make diamonds.
"Pressure could either bust pipes or it can create and make diamonds. You choose what to do for it, or what to do with it, remember that.
"Remember that there's a reason why you are an Olympic champion. There's nothing new. It's all in you, you're going against you, and I hope you can come back from that."
