Michael Phelps says Simone Biles' anguish "broke my heart"

Michael Phelps is standing by Simone Biles. Following the iconic gymnast's shocking withdrawal from the team gymnastics competition at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics on Tuesday, Phelps shared his thoughts about her decision to prioritize her mental health.

Phelps -- who is serving as a TV analyst for NBC during this year's Olympics -- opened up to host Mike Tirico about how he understands and appreciates the monumental pressure and mental strain that is placed on athletes like Biles and others. "The easiest way for me to say this is athletes, and Olympic athletes in general ... we need someone who we can trust, somebody that can let us be ourselves and listen. Allow us to become vulnerable. Somebody who's not going to try to fix us," Phelps shared. "We carry a lot of weight on our shoulders, and it's challenging."