Interesting blindgossip about this. Centers on her saving herself for individual competition because that is where the dollars are
My wife wondered if a mom with 3 kids in wet and poopy diapers says “I’m not feeling it today” would get the sympathy Biles is
No one cares about the wokympics. It will be regarded like the Pan Am games in the USA starting this year but forevermore.
There have been a lot of comparisons with Osaka but the BIG difference is that Biles’ teammates were counting on her. Osaka hurt herself and only herself by pulling out of the French Open. Biles hurt the entire team.
Time for reforms at Olympics. All athletes should be amateurs. I think the age limit should be 21. No professional athletes.
She knew she was off. Persevering would have been the selfish choice. She would be seen as courageous while her team failed with her poor performance. She made the courageous choice to accept the humiliation she knew would follow to allow her team to win without her. I have nothing but respect for her determination to do the right thing for her team despite the personal cost to her.
The Lebron James parallel is quite apt. No guts in the crunch. Just walk away and abandon your teammates. He did it in Cleveland and LA, she did it in japan.
Bah. General Patton would straighten this woman out real quick.
While Simone Biles vacations in Japan for free and enjoys herself sitting in the stands... There is an Olympic hopeful sitting on a couch somewhere in the United States who could have filled her spot, if Simone Biles had instead decided to have her ‘mental meltdown’ before she left for Japan.
I feel bad for that young athlete... As for Simone Biles, I and I’m sure any other true fan of sports, feels cheated and ashamed of her selfishness.
Self centered little twit. Or word very similar to “twit”.
CC
First of all let me say i find it hard to believe her doubts came out of the blue. If she had them before the competition and should have given the team the chance to start a substitute.
Other than that i think the Federalist is absolutely wrong.
She was NOT supposed to do anything for other people. She put in the work, she made the sacrifices to get were she is, it his her body and her health she`s putting on the line every time she competes, so nobody else gets to have a say.There is no margin for error or doubt in top level Gymnastics. She might easily have injured herself severely had she forced herself to go on.
And how would it have helped her team? If her vault is anything to go by she probably would have scored low, maybe lower than the girls who had to stand in for her.
And no, i don`t think Kerry Strug is a role model. It was an extremely dangerous and, frankly, stupid thing to do. With all the flak coaches get for mistreating their athletes she`d never be allowed to do it now.Not for nothing the now discredited and fired Karolyis were here coaches.The health of the athletes, often minors,should come first.
That said, there are countries where athletes are still mistreated physically and psychologically without consideration for their longtime health. Those systems break many, many athletes. Those who make it through will probably not falter under pressure.
Artur Dalaloyan from Russia helped to win team gold in Tokyo three months after surgery for a torn achilles tendon even though his doctors hadn`t cleared him and it usually takes more like 9 months to come back from that kind of injury. He is the product of just such system. He might have crippled himself for life. Would that have been worth it? Is it right to expect that from an athlete?
In the end tho, \everything\ was about winning the Gold and beating Russia.
And, nothing else.
With this in mind, I withhold judgement of Ms Biles decision.
she did not do anything wrong.
I have no problem with her withdrawing...BEFORE the qualifying rounds. Save us the drama.
There are rumors of a rule change targeting her. Maybe her Ritalin waver got pulled, that being an illegal substance in Japan.
This article is bullshit. She is the GOAT in the world of gymnastics. Most of her teammates weren’t even born when she became a world-class gymnast. Gymnastics at the highest level in incredibly stressful, both mentally and physically.
Most world-class gymnasts are done by the time they are in their early 30s.
OMG I cannot imagine the amount of pressure she was under to repeat or even excel beyond her past achievements. At some point the woman has the right to say she is done competing.
The Olympics are NOT an obligation to anyone. It’s sports, not a life or death situation. She has my full support.
Somebody got to her. China? Russia? The Committee ought to sue to investigate her bank account.