Simone Biles Withdraws from Olympics

ER757 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 4:23 pm

https://www.espn.com/olympics/gymnastic ... tal-health

Already knew about her leaving the team finals but now dropping out of individual all-around competition. My feeling is do what you want as far as individual but she let her team down by quitting mid-event.
She thinks of herself as the GOAT and maybe so, but part of being GOAT is you suck it up when things go less than perfectly and deal with the pressure to perform. Remember the time Tom Brady threw two interceptions and then told the coach he didn't have it today and the backup QB should go in?......yeah, I don't either

FGITD · Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:23 pm

Read on some news reports that she apparently had issues with tracking where she was in the air, which is obviously a major issue with gymnastics. Pretty important to know if that was 1 flip or 2 flips when you’re hurling yourself through the air.

Given that she’s performed while injured, and been at the top of her sport for years, I think she deserves a little slack. Sucks to let the team down but I hardly think her intention was to go to the Olympics and just see how it goes.

scbriml · Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:38 pm

Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

737307 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:42 pm

Good for her to put her health first. Although I suspect most people don't care. I certainly won't be watching elitists games bought and paid for by billionaires. Either way, ratings for the Olympics are at a 33-year low.

https://www.axios.com/olympic-opening-c ... 9134f.html
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/tokyo ... 1627427597

NIKV69 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 5:49 pm

scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

ER757 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:15 pm

NIKV69 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

Interesting - that was the very first comparison that came to my mind - both citing mental health issues. Surely there are as many potential mental health issues are there are people, what differences do you see that lead you to think they are not alike? I'm not saying they are, just wondering if there's any obvious signs

ER757 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:18 pm

scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

chimborazo · Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:53 pm

ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

I had the same thoughts. Would never question someone else’s mental health as it’s their mind not mine. I’ve suffered in the past so can relate in that way. But I would question if it is actually mental health as in: is it a real mental health issue or is it because she doesn’t feel on top of her game. Can understand that as been there too. But I didn’t have a whole team, sports psychologists and a lot of sponsorship behind me when I was rowing competitively. Or proclaim myself to be the greatest. They have been let down… I hope it’s not the case that she just doesn’t feel 100 percent and so won’t compete. That’s not fair on everyone else. All top level athletes carry physical problems by the very nature of what they do. But elite athletes such as her have a massive amount of support. Sport is more mental strength than physical strength - that’s derived from the mental strength. It could just be bad timing that she’s had whatever episode but I can’t help feeling this is an “easy get out” when not feeling on beat form.

scbriml · Wed Jul 28, 2021 7:56 pm

ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

I can only assume you haven’t had the misfortune of seeing someone close suffering with mental health disorders. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

45272455674 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:00 pm

Has the OP also won medals at the Olympics? Or competed as an elite athlete?

If not…

I hope she can sort out what’s wrong - clearly you wouldn’t abandon all that preparation for nothing. I’ve heard of athletes also having enough of elite sport and going back into normal life doing a normal job. The pressures of competition and coming back from injury, or not wanting to get injured again take their toll. It’s often a decision that has been brewing for a while.

The worst I’ve heard of is someone involved in an accident where one of the other competitors in that accident (who was still very young) died in hospital later. They finished up meters away from each other, but he survived and the other guy didn’t. It was tragic and sad for everyone around those athletes, let alone being in the accident.

vikkyvik · Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:16 pm

NIKV69 wrote:
I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

Have any evidence for that?

This is part of the reason mental health issues still have stigma. I believe this person, but not this person.

Kiwirob · Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:17 pm

NIKV69 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

My assistant who coaches gymnastics thinks she got what called the twistes.

it can cause a person to lose their sense of space and dimension as they're in the air, causing them to lose control of their body and do extra twists or flips that they hadn't intended. In the worst cases, they can find themselves suddenly unable to land safely.

luckyone · Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:20 pm

ER757 wrote:
NIKV69 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

Interesting - that was the very first comparison that came to my mind - both citing mental health issues. Surely there are as many potential mental health issues are there are people, what differences do you see that lead you to think they are not alike? I'm not saying they are, just wondering if there's any obvious signs

Here's the difference I see: For starters she didn't send out a rather bratty tweet blaming the media for her mental health concerns. She identified a problem, she stated problem, and nothing I've seen her state indicates that she's blamed it on anything like fame, publicity, or exposure.

Osaka initially stated that the media caused her problem, her sister released a statement that made that look like a pile of horse puckey, and then in the following weeks Osaka released a documentary, a doll, and was featured on the cover of a major magazine. Now, all of that was done well before Roland Garros, but it didn't leave one with the impression that she really was reeling from overexposure, and note she didn't renege on any of those obligations which contribute to ongoing public exposure (and her bank account...), unlike what she tried to due with the contractually obliged press conference.

ER757 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 8:25 pm

scbriml wrote:
ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

I can only assume you haven’t had the misfortune of seeing someone close suffering with mental health disorders. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

You assume wrong

scbriml · Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:40 pm

ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
ER757 wrote:
If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

I can only assume you haven’t had the misfortune of seeing someone close suffering with mental health disorders. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

You assume wrong

I’m sorry to hear that, but it makes your position even less fathomable.

CitizenJustin · Wed Jul 28, 2021 9:45 pm

ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
ER757 wrote:
If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

I can only assume you haven’t had the misfortune of seeing someone close suffering with mental health disorders. Otherwise you wouldn’t be so dismissive.

You assume wrong

Then you should know that “suck it up” is one of the worst things you can possibly say! It can even be harmful in some instances. I’ve been dealing with relatively severe issues since I was a teenager and I’d be in A LOT of trouble if my army of mental health professionals said “suck it up Justin”. She’s a human being, not a God. She comes with all the flaws and vulnerabilities that anyone else possesses.

ThePointblank · Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:58 pm

Kiwirob wrote:
NIKV69 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

My assistant who coaches gymnastics thinks she got what called the twistes.

it can cause a person to lose their sense of space and dimension as they're in the air, causing them to lose control of their body and do extra twists or flips that they hadn't intended. In the worst cases, they can find themselves suddenly unable to land safely.

Correct. When she withdrew and was speaking to reporters, Simone did indicate she was suffering from the Twisties.

Basically, a good explanation can be found here:

https://twitter.com/WittyNameChoice/sta ... 7938710533

Hi, your friendly neighborhood former gymnast and diver here to attempt to explain the mental phenomenon Simone Biles is experiencing: the dreaded twisties.

When you're flipping or twisting (or both!) it is very disorienting to the human brain. When training new flips and twists, you need external cues to learn how it feels to complete the trick correctly. (In diving, a coach yells "OUT" and you kick your body straight and pray).

Once you've practiced a trick enough, you develop the neural pathways that create kinesthesia which leads to muscle memory. Your brain remembers how your body feels doing the trick and you gain air awareness.

Think about something that took you a while to learn and required a lot of concentration at the time to get it right, but now is second nature. Driving a car is a good example (especially stick!)

Suddenly, in the middle of driving on the freeway, right as you need to complete a tricky merge, you have totally lost your muscle memory of how to drive a car. You have to focus on making you foot press the pedal at the right angle, turn the steering wheel just so, shift gears..

It's terrifying. You're moving way too fast, you're totally lost, you're trying to THINK but you know you don't usually have to think to do these maneuvers, you just feel them and do them.

The twisties are like this, and often happen under pressure. You're working so hard to get it right that you stop trusting your muscle memory. You're getting lost in the air, second guessing your instincts, overthinking every movement.

It's not only scary and unnerving, it's incredibly dangerous even if you're doing basic gymnastics. The level of skills Simone throws combined with the height and power she gets can lead to catastrophic injury if you're not confident and connected to your kinesthesia.

This isn't as easy to fix as just sleeping it off and hoping for a better day tomorrow. It can look like retraining entire routines and tricks. I never mastered my front 1.5 with a full twist because I'd get the twisties and it would mess with my other twisting dives.

So. When Simone says she's taking it day by day, this is why. She's not soft. She didn't choke. She isn't giving up. It's a phenomenon every gymnast and diver has experienced and she happens to be experiencing it at the Olympics. Can you imagine the frustration? The heartbreak?

I'll also add that @Simone_Biles choosing to bow out pushes back against a dark narrative in gymnastics that you sacrifice yourself for the sake of the sport; you are the product of your coaches and you owe them wins, no matter the personal cost.

No. You owe nobody anything, and you especially don't owe them your body, your health, or your autonomy. I hope every single tiny baby gymnast got that message on self advocacy and setting boundaries loud and clear. Thank you, @Simone_Biles

Also, apparently, her teammates also were extremely concerned earlier at the team final event; re-watch the event where Simone was competing. It was clear at the time Simone was having trouble in the vault where she switched from the 2.5 twist and came out at 1.5. While Simone did manage to make the landing, she was very shaky and it wasn't a clean landing.

In particular, pay attention to the faces of her teammates watching her. Look at the looks of sheer terror on their faces when it became clear Simone was struggling in mid-air. They all saw it and knew what was going on, and they know the consequences of a mistake while in the air.

In short, she did the right thing, and not tried to push it. Gymnastics is a very dangerous sport and it is better to err on the side of caution rather than risk severe injury or death.

Aaron747 · Wed Jul 28, 2021 11:58 pm

luckyone wrote:
ER757 wrote:
NIKV69 wrote:

I just feel Simone Biles isn't going to do something like this unless something is really amiss. I actually think something deeper is going on. She isn't like Osaka IMO.

Interesting - that was the very first comparison that came to my mind - both citing mental health issues. Surely there are as many potential mental health issues are there are people, what differences do you see that lead you to think they are not alike? I'm not saying they are, just wondering if there's any obvious signs

Here's the difference I see: For starters she didn't send out a rather bratty tweet blaming the media for her mental health concerns. She identified a problem, she stated problem, and nothing I've seen her state indicates that she's blamed it on anything like fame, publicity, or exposure.

Osaka initially stated that the media caused her problem, her sister released a statement that made that look like a pile of horse puckey, and then in the following weeks Osaka released a documentary, a doll, and was featured on the cover of a major magazine. Now, all of that was done well before Roland Garros, but it didn't leave one with the impression that she really was reeling from overexposure, and note she didn't renege on any of those obligations which contribute to ongoing public exposure (and her bank account...), unlike what she tried to due with the contractually obliged press conference.

To be fair, Osaka deals with two medias. There is also the Japanese media, where right wing magazines question her nationality over garbage like having a black dad (being impure) and not speaking fluent Japanese (a common trope against halfies). Also she did not ‘release’ the documentary - Netflix did.

luckyone · Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:36 am

Aaron747 wrote:
luckyone wrote:
ER757 wrote:
Interesting - that was the very first comparison that came to my mind - both citing mental health issues. Surely there are as many potential mental health issues are there are people, what differences do you see that lead you to think they are not alike? I'm not saying they are, just wondering if there's any obvious signs

Here's the difference I see: For starters she didn't send out a rather bratty tweet blaming the media for her mental health concerns. She identified a problem, she stated problem, and nothing I've seen her state indicates that she's blamed it on anything like fame, publicity, or exposure.

Osaka initially stated that the media caused her problem, her sister released a statement that made that look like a pile of horse puckey, and then in the following weeks Osaka released a documentary, a doll, and was featured on the cover of a major magazine. Now, all of that was done well before Roland Garros, but it didn't leave one with the impression that she really was reeling from overexposure, and note she didn't renege on any of those obligations which contribute to ongoing public exposure (and her bank account...), unlike what she tried to due with the contractually obliged press conference.

To be fair, Osaka deals with two medias. There is also the Japanese media, where right wing magazines question her nationality over garbage like having a black dad (being impure) and not speaking fluent Japanese (a common trope against halfies). Also she did not ‘release’ the documentary - Netflix did.

That last bit is really semantic. She authorized and participated in said documentary.

I am of the opinion that as she was born there and obviously holds right of citizenship she is free to choose whichever citizenship she holds. But let’s not be naive here— as you’ve lived there, you know Japan is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries on earth. It shouldn’t shock anyone that someone who doesn’t speak Japanese is going to be viewed with skepticism (and this is hardly unique to Japan), especially when she pulls a lot of money from Japanese endorsements. I for one can understand that point of view. Her story of multiculturalism is much more an “American” story than anything else. And though she does have a few Japanese mannerisms in public, she’s lived in the US since she was three due to not being accepted by her mother’s family, and her lifestyle and politics are very American. Though she certainly has a connection to Japan, you probably know more about actually living there than she does. I can’t say that if I were Japanese I would be overly enthusiastic about her. As an American, I view her at times as wanting her cake and eating it too — she relinquishes her American citizenship (and with it her voting rights) but chooses to continue to live in the States and feels entitled to make political and sociological commentary though she obviously no longer wanted to actually be part of the country’s process. Criticism about her race is unwarranted and unjustified, but that doesn’t mean her choices are without critique or consequence. I wouldn’t level that criticism at someone like Tina Turner, who relinquished her citizenship and assumed the one of the country where she actually lived.

Aaron747 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 12:53 am

luckyone wrote:
Aaron747 wrote:
luckyone wrote:
Here's the difference I see: For starters she didn't send out a rather bratty tweet blaming the media for her mental health concerns. She identified a problem, she stated problem, and nothing I've seen her state indicates that she's blamed it on anything like fame, publicity, or exposure.

Osaka initially stated that the media caused her problem, her sister released a statement that made that look like a pile of horse puckey, and then in the following weeks Osaka released a documentary, a doll, and was featured on the cover of a major magazine. Now, all of that was done well before Roland Garros, but it didn't leave one with the impression that she really was reeling from overexposure, and note she didn't renege on any of those obligations which contribute to ongoing public exposure (and her bank account...), unlike what she tried to due with the contractually obliged press conference.

To be fair, Osaka deals with two medias. There is also the Japanese media, where right wing magazines question her nationality over garbage like having a black dad (being impure) and not speaking fluent Japanese (a common trope against halfies). Also she did not ‘release’ the documentary - Netflix did.

That last bit is really semantic. She authorized and participated in said documentary.

I am of the opinion that as she was born there and obviously holds right of citizenship she is free to choose whichever citizenship she holds. But let’s not be naive here— as you’ve lived there, you know Japan is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries on earth. It shouldn’t shock anyone that someone who doesn’t speak Japanese is going to be viewed with skepticism (and this is hardly unique to Japan), especially when she pulls a lot of money from Japanese endorsements. I for one can understand that point of view. Her story of multiculturalism is much more an “American” story than anything else. And though she does have a few Japanese mannerisms in public, she’s lived in the US since she was three due to not being accepted by her mother’s family, and her lifestyle and politics are very American. Though she certainly has a connection to Japan, you probably know more about actually living there than she does. I can’t say that if I were Japanese I would be overly enthusiastic about her. As an American, I view her at times as wanting her cake and eating it too — she relinquishes her American citizenship (and with it her voting rights) but chooses to continue to live in the States and feels entitled to make political and sociological commentary though she obviously no longer wanted to actually be part of the country’s process. Criticism about her race is unwarranted and unjustified, but that doesn’t mean her choices are without critique or consequence. I wouldn’t level that criticism at someone like Tina Turner, who relinquished her citizenship and assumed the one of the country where she actually lived.

Osaka relinquished her US citizenship because Japan does not allow dual citizenship and makes dual nationals choose loyalty at age 20, and also because those were her mother’s wishes.

As for the attitudes of some Japanese people, they represent an older inflexible generation that is uncomfortable with change. She has many fans amongst Japanese under 40, and women in particular support ‘Naomi chan’. International marriages exploded in Japan from the 1980s on and some people want to continue to portray their effects as ‘impure’ - that’s on them.

luckyone · Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:06 am

Aaron747 wrote:
luckyone wrote:
Aaron747 wrote:

To be fair, Osaka deals with two medias. There is also the Japanese media, where right wing magazines question her nationality over garbage like having a black dad (being impure) and not speaking fluent Japanese (a common trope against halfies). Also she did not ‘release’ the documentary - Netflix did.

That last bit is really semantic. She authorized and participated in said documentary.

I am of the opinion that as she was born there and obviously holds right of citizenship she is free to choose whichever citizenship she holds. But let’s not be naive here— as you’ve lived there, you know Japan is one of the most ethnically homogenous countries on earth. It shouldn’t shock anyone that someone who doesn’t speak Japanese is going to be viewed with skepticism (and this is hardly unique to Japan), especially when she pulls a lot of money from Japanese endorsements. I for one can understand that point of view. Her story of multiculturalism is much more an “American” story than anything else. And though she does have a few Japanese mannerisms in public, she’s lived in the US since she was three due to not being accepted by her mother’s family, and her lifestyle and politics are very American. Though she certainly has a connection to Japan, you probably know more about actually living there than she does. I can’t say that if I were Japanese I would be overly enthusiastic about her. As an American, I view her at times as wanting her cake and eating it too — she relinquishes her American citizenship (and with it her voting rights) but chooses to continue to live in the States and feels entitled to make political and sociological commentary though she obviously no longer wanted to actually be part of the country’s process. Criticism about her race is unwarranted and unjustified, but that doesn’t mean her choices are without critique or consequence. I wouldn’t level that criticism at someone like Tina Turner, who relinquished her citizenship and assumed the one of the country where she actually lived.

Osaka relinquished her US citizenship because Japan does not allow dual citizenship and makes dual nationals choose loyalty at age 20, and also because those were her mother’s wishes.

I’m aware of the legal reasons for doing so, and even still that is beside the point and doesn’t change the fact that choices have consequence. It was not an inconsequential choice she made.

Aaron747 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:21 am

Enter the chief of ‘know-nothing’ comments on Biles from none other than Charlie Kirk:

https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/stat ... 85920?s=21

MaverickM11 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 3:32 am

Aaron747 wrote:
Enter the chief of ‘know-nothing’ comments on Biles from none other than Charlie Kirk:

https://twitter.com/jasonscampbell/stat ... 85920?s=21

Charlie Kirk quit community college and had to go to the hospital after throwing out his back probably conducting a podcast lol

https://www.dailydot.com/upstream/charl ... ealthcare/

dmg626 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 11:45 am

The media should concentrate on the other team members who are actually competing and winning and let the Biles story go. It would help the team as the rest of them have stepped up and also her as maybe she could get out of the limelight and get the help she needs.

waterpolodan · Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:11 pm

cpd wrote:
Has the OP also won medals at the Olympics? Or competed as an elite athlete?

If not…

I hope she can sort out what’s wrong - clearly you wouldn’t abandon all that preparation for nothing. I’ve heard of athletes also having enough of elite sport and going back into normal life doing a normal job. The pressures of competition and coming back from injury, or not wanting to get injured again take their toll. It’s often a decision that has been brewing for a while.

The worst I’ve heard of is someone involved in an accident where one of the other competitors in that accident (who was still very young) died in hospital later. They finished up meters away from each other, but he survived and the other guy didn’t. It was tragic and sad for everyone around those athletes, let alone being in the accident.

I'm assuming you are talking about Chad Young's crash in 2017. I've raced against and know the guy who was in the crash with Chad, Eddie Anderson as he's local to me in VA, he's obviously still competing at a high level but it definitely messed him up.

LCDFlight · Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:36 pm

dmg626 wrote:
The media should concentrate on the other team members who are actually competing and winning and let the Biles story go. It would help the team as the rest of them have stepped up and also her as maybe she could get out of the limelight and get the help she needs.

Preach. I am proud of this young girl from the midwest USA Suni Lee.

I disagree with the media somehow lionizing people's mental anguish, as if it is a triumph to have a mental breakdown. It's not, but it is nothing to be ashamed of, either. It just means you're human.

The Olympics is about pursuing an ideal as far as you can. Simone Biles went as far as she can. Fair enough. Suni Lee triumphed. Great job, Suni Lee.

jetwet1 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 1:48 pm

Kiwirob wrote:

My assistant who coaches gymnastics thinks she got what called the twistes.

And she has now come out and said exactly that : https://www.yahoo.com/sports/simone-bil ... 03850.html

And frankly, for someone who does what she does, as someone mentioned up thread, it is totally understandable for her to pull out, performing the high speed high height maneuvers she (and other gymnasts) perform you need to know where you are in time and space or it is going to end very badly.

The only issue I would have is if she was having these issues before the games and didn't tell anyone.

luckyone · Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:13 pm

LCDFlight wrote:
dmg626 wrote:
The media should concentrate on the other team members who are actually competing and winning and let the Biles story go. It would help the team as the rest of them have stepped up and also her as maybe she could get out of the limelight and get the help she needs.

Preach. I am proud of this young girl from the midwest USA Suni Lee.

I disagree with the media somehow lionizing people's mental anguish, as if it is a triumph to have a mental breakdown. It's not, but it is nothing to be ashamed of, either. It just means you're human.

The Olympics is about pursuing an ideal as far as you can. Simone Biles went as far as she can. Fair enough. Suni Lee triumphed. Great job, Suni Lee.

Indeed. well done for her.

ltbewr · Thu Jul 29, 2021 2:30 pm

American Suni Lee won the individual all-around and now the successor to Ms. Biles as to Olympic Gold. She won by a tiny margin and executed slightly less difficult programs in her events. There is still hope of Biles competing in the individual events next week. https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/olympi ... hp&pc=U531

seb146 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 4:29 pm

If an athlete is feeling less than 100% and believes something is wrong, they should take some time. I don't understand people upset Biles did this.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/b ... ingernail/

Aaron Sanchez missed games because his manicure gave out during a game and because he got an owie carrying a suitcase. Not a peep out of anyone. No one saying "suck it up" or anything.

ER757 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:31 pm

jetwet1 wrote:
Kiwirob wrote:

My assistant who coaches gymnastics thinks she got what called the twistes.

And she has now come out and said exactly that : https://www.yahoo.com/sports/simone-bil ... 03850.html

And frankly, for someone who does what she does, as someone mentioned up thread, it is totally understandable for her to pull out, performing the high speed high height maneuvers she (and other gymnasts) perform you need to know where you are in time and space or it is going to end very badly.

The only issue I would have is if she was having these issues before the games and didn't tell anyone.

That definitely changes my opinion somewhat - that's more physical than mental and certainly could place her at serious risk for injury. Nice to see one of her teammates stepped up and won the gold - big congrats to Ms. Lee for that :bigthumbsup:

Aaron747 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 5:46 pm

Any success for the team is a big deal after the shame and distress of the Dr. Nassar episode.

45272455674 · Thu Jul 29, 2021 8:22 pm

waterpolodan wrote:
cpd wrote:
Has the OP also won medals at the Olympics? Or competed as an elite athlete?

If not…

I hope she can sort out what’s wrong - clearly you wouldn’t abandon all that preparation for nothing. I’ve heard of athletes also having enough of elite sport and going back into normal life doing a normal job. The pressures of competition and coming back from injury, or not wanting to get injured again take their toll. It’s often a decision that has been brewing for a while.

The worst I’ve heard of is someone involved in an accident where one of the other competitors in that accident (who was still very young) died in hospital later. They finished up meters away from each other, but he survived and the other guy didn’t. It was tragic and sad for everyone around those athletes, let alone being in the accident.

I'm assuming you are talking about Chad Young's crash in 2017. I've raced against and know the guy who was in the crash with Chad, Eddie Anderson as he's local to me in VA, he's obviously still competing at a high level but it definitely messed him up.

Yes, that crash, but one of the other riders in the accident who was with a team I knew very well. It was a terrible accident and Chad Young was not just a real talent but seemingly just such a well mannered, hard working person too.

I’ve had a few riders I know pass away, only one due to an accident in a training ride. It hangs on your mind. I’ve had only one big accident myself (it was at very high speed, just stayed away from a big rock wall thankfully) and that takes a while to get over mentally. All fine now but you lose the edge for a while.

casinterest · Fri Jul 30, 2021 1:20 pm

It must be scary to lose that confidence on such a world stage. Items practices for years, and suddenly it feels like you are just wishing for the body to remember, because your mind is not following along. I wish Biles well, but I am glad to see the success of the rest of the team.

Maybe for individuals she will return ,but right now it looks less likely.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/30/sport/si ... index.html

"I chose to not continue team competition in jeopardizing losing a medal (of any color) for the girls / US also for my own safety and health," Biles said.
Women's vault and bars finals are scheduled for Sunday, the women's floor final is Monday, and the beam final is Tuesday.

DIRECTFLT · Fri Jul 30, 2021 9:54 pm

Has Simone withdrawn from all competition for the duration of the Olympics??

ltbewr · Fri Jul 30, 2021 10:19 pm

DIRECTFLT wrote:
Has Simone withdrawn from all competition for the duration of the Olympics??

I think she is taking it day by day, not sure if has returned to practice yet to prep for the individuals next week.

EA CO AS · Sat Jul 31, 2021 9:30 am

DIRECTFLT wrote:
Has Simone withdrawn from all competition for the duration of the Olympics??

The latest news had her withdrawing from all but the floor exercise and the balance beam, and those are subject to change as her condition/confidence evolves.

DLFREEBIRD · Sat Jul 31, 2021 4:08 pm

I think a lot of people have already forgotten about the reputation of the U.S. Olympic team in gymnastics. They covered up the sexual abuse of many gymnastics by the team doctor for decades

She was one of the victims, yes this is a mental health issue. She absolutely loathes the U.S. Olympic team and for good reason. I wouldn't be surprised her being at these events brings bad very unpleasant memories from the past coupled with the stress to perform perfectly.

This is what happens when an organization, is being held accountable for its past. These athletes are only human, and can only be pushed so far
before they break. This says more about the dysfunctional U.S. Olympic management team than it does about Simone Biles.

L410Turbolet · Sun Aug 01, 2021 7:53 am

Why is her whining making headlines for a week? She is not the only that quit the Olympics, is she?

Aaron747 · Sun Aug 01, 2021 7:58 am

L410Turbolet wrote:
Why is her whining making headlines for a week? She is not the only that quit the Olympics, is she?

Please enlighten us as to how her actions constitute 'whining'.

Also an excellent editorial by WaPo's Karen Attiah on how male athletes can actually benefit from Biles's example:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions ... -her-lead/

45272455674 · Sun Aug 01, 2021 11:08 am

L410Turbolet wrote:
Why is her whining making headlines for a week? She is not the only that quit the Olympics, is she?

Can we see a list of your Olympic results or other international competition achievements so we can see your qualifications to make such statements.

c933103 · Sun Aug 01, 2021 12:54 pm

ER757 wrote:
scbriml wrote:
Given that it's been widely reported that she's having some mental health issues, it seems more than a little harsh to tell her to "suck it up".

If you are an elite athlete performing at the very top levels of your sport and self-proclaim yourself as the best that's ever been, then dealing with mental issues is part of what it takes to be the all-time best.
Going to stick with my original premise

In many countries, professional mental care are provided to athletes to take care of it for them, although it's still their own heart and their own mind.

ltbewr · Sun Aug 01, 2021 2:09 pm

Too often have we glorified the inured athlete who continues to play even at great risk to themselves or others out of their personal pride, economic political or social pressure or fear. We need to shift our attitudes, put in proper regulations to protect athletes and allow them the agency to make decisions best for their mental and body health.

Too often we have heard of cases of airline pilots who were well over the flying DWI limit fly out of fear of losing their job or fear of admitting they had violated the rules. I don't know of any crashes from such situations but the rules are there for a reason. There should be no penalties for calling out sick in such situations. How often do we see truck drivers too tired to drive but do so anyway out of economic need to to look good to their boss. An example was the 2014 Walmart truck driver on the NJ Turnpike who killed 1 person and seriously injured others including comic Tracy Morgan. He had been awake 11 hours before going to work then causing that crash near the end of of then levels of being on duty so was likely too tired to drive.

Going back to athletics, and until recent protocols, far too often sports players with injuries and head concussions were allowed to return to play. We now know and accept to some extent players withdrawn by officials or on their own choice from play, even retiring from their sports due to their legit fears of more serious injuries including long term brain injury. We don't glorify anymore the hard 'bell ringing' hit in football, many have turned away from boxing and similar sports due to their violence and affects on athletes. Too many athletes accepted blindly performance enhancing drugs sometimes causing death or with some female athletes in the former East Germany transitioning to transgendered status, perhaps dying early or having a terrible quality of life.

I hope Biles choosing to not participate causes more understanding and acceptance of athletes having more power over themselves for their own benefit.

CitizenJustin · Thu Aug 05, 2021 2:50 am

ER757 wrote:
https://www.espn.com/olympics/gymnastics/story/_/id/31902290/simone-biles-withdraws-individual-all-competition-tokyo-olympics-focus-mental-health

Already knew about her leaving the team finals but now dropping out of individual all-around competition. My feeling is do what you want as far as individual but she let her team down by quitting mid-event.
She thinks of herself as the GOAT and maybe so, but part of being GOAT is you suck it up when things go less than perfectly and deal with the pressure to perform. Remember the time Tom Brady threw two interceptions and then told the coach he didn't have it today and the backup QB should go in?......yeah, I don't either

Now that more information is coming out, we know that Simone lost her Aunt during the Olympics. She was very close to her. Unfortunately, she shouldn’t have needed to release that information, but people like you have been absolutely brutal and coming for her like rabid dogs. The toxic behavior towards olympians for making personal choices needs to stop. You being an adult should know better and it’s clear that you aren’t privy to everything that’s going on in her life. It’s in poor taste to criticize an Olympian for dropping out, especially with what we know now. You were out of line and could do with some empathy in your life.

sierrakilo44 · Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:21 pm

CitizenJustin wrote:

Now that more information is coming out, we know that Simone lost her Aunt during the Olympics. She was very close to her. Unfortunately, she shouldn’t have needed to release that information, but people like you have been absolutely brutal and coming for her like rabid dogs. The toxic behavior towards olympians for making personal choices needs to stop. You being an adult should know better and it’s clear that you aren’t privy to everything that’s going on in her life. It’s in poor taste to criticize an Olympian for dropping out, especially with what we know now. You were out of line and could do with some empathy in your life.

Especially considering the number one person attacking her online was Piers Morgan. Nothing more than a troll who is obsessed with denigrating anything he considers “woke”, which now includes sniping at female athletes of colour (no critiques about his cricketing friend Ben Stokes pulling out of an upcoming tournament due mental health concerns however....)

Hypocritical considering when Piers heard one comment he didn’t like from the weatherman he cowardly ran off his own breakfast TV program at a speed that would rival Usain Bolt.

extender · Thu Aug 05, 2021 12:34 pm

At the end of the day, its her call; and she has her reasons. Getting upset about it isn't going to make anything better. The world would be a better place if you weren't criticized at every turn or told how or what to think.

45272455674 · Sun Aug 08, 2021 8:19 pm

sierrakilo44 wrote:
CitizenJustin wrote:

Now that more information is coming out, we know that Simone lost her Aunt during the Olympics. She was very close to her. Unfortunately, she shouldn’t have needed to release that information, but people like you have been absolutely brutal and coming for her like rabid dogs. The toxic behavior towards olympians for making personal choices needs to stop. You being an adult should know better and it’s clear that you aren’t privy to everything that’s going on in her life. It’s in poor taste to criticize an Olympian for dropping out, especially with what we know now. You were out of line and could do with some empathy in your life.

Especially considering the number one person attacking her online was Piers Morgan. Nothing more than a troll who is obsessed with denigrating anything he considers “woke”, which now includes sniping at female athletes of colour (no critiques about his cricketing friend Ben Stokes pulling out of an upcoming tournament due mental health concerns however....)

Hypocritical considering when Piers heard one comment he didn’t like from the weatherman he cowardly ran off his own breakfast TV program at a speed that would rival Usain Bolt.

And where are his Olympic and other international competition results? Like the other naysayer above who I challenged to that who simply vanished.

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