Simone Biles Withdraws From Individual All-Around Competition

Fox News ^ | 07.28.2021 | Edmund DeMarche

[USA Conservative]

Simone Biles, the superstar gymnast from the U.S., will not participate in the individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Games and will instead focus on her mental well-being, USA Gymnastics said in a statement early Wednesday.

The decision comes a day after she pulled out of the team all-around competition.

Jade Carey, who finished ninth in qualifying, will take Biles’ place in the individual all-around competition.

"After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games," USA Gymnastics said in a statement posted on Twitter Wednesday night. "We wholeheartedly support Simone's decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many."

The statement said Biles will be evaluated daily to see if she can "participate in next week’s individual event finals."

[Alberta's Child]

I think every one of the athletes you mentioned was already emotionally stunted and immature to begin with.

One of my favorite pro athletes of all time was Don Mattingly, the star first baseman for the New York Yankees back in the 1980s. One of the things that stood out about him was that he had very few endorsement contracts even though he was one of the most popular athletes in the biggest media market in the U.S. When asked why this was the case, he said: “I always want people to know me as a baseball player.”

The sports/entertainment industry could use a few more competitors like that.

[Svartalfiar]

A point that I made on another thread yesterday. Is it possible that USA was able to salvage the Team silver because Biles withdrew? I don’t know how the team competition gets scored.

Not really. Each team has four gymnasts, there's four events, and they take three scores for each event. So for each event, you can take the gymnast who's weakest on that event and they don't have to do it. With Biles quitting, the rest of the team HAS to do each event, even if it's not one they're great at.

So sure, it helped the team if she *knew* she was gonna fail on them, but with her skill set and experience, there's no reason anything short of an actual injury should have hurt her (normally very high) scores.

Another gymnast can take her spot for later events, but for the one she quit during, there is no substitute. It was still up in the air whether she even would pull out of the remaining events, but it sounds like she was told she better or it'll look really bad if she skips the team stuff only to "come back" and win the individual stuff.

[Tired of Taxes]

Wow, don’t hold back. Just say how you really feel. /sarc

If you hate her that much, then you should be glad she dropped out. Someone else took her place now. So, you should have nothing to complain about.

[Mr Rogers]

“We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being”

What in the heck is BRAVE about putting yourself first - above teammates, country and all those who have supported you the last few years? What is BRAVE about focusing only on oneself?

[ltc8k6]

She has not yet withdrawn from the specific individual events where she could win a personal medal.

[elpadre]

Yes, I am one who loves the Olympics and have for years. My enthusiasm dropped a bit when it turned from pure amateurism to professional athletes. That was because because the Soviet block nations cheated by having their athletes professionally trained year-round and making the sports a science. Nations were not supposed to financially support their athletes and so they were funded by by the private sector. The Soviet block nations cheated on that requirement as well. But all-in-all it is the athlete, their perseverance, talent and training.

[ltc8k6]

There’s a 44 year old woman gymnast competing...

[Tallguy]

Thanks for the clarification on team scoring. I've been waiting for that.

but it sounds like she was told she better or it'll look really bad if she skips the team stuff only to "come back" and win the individual stuff.

I think you have that nailed. Eventually it will leak out that either the coach, the Team or some 'advisor' suggested that she pull-out because of bad optics.

I would say that this hurts 'her brand' in the long-run, but we live in such a therapeutic society now, who knows? Simone Biles as the next 'Dr. Phil'? Maybe a regular guest hosting gig on 'Oprah'?

[ltc8k6]

She’s still scheduled for the individual events where she can win her own medals. Let’s wait and see if she recovers quickly enough to win her own medals.

[usconservative]

She quit and gave gold to Russia she’s unamerican what a sad excuse to represent us at the Tokyo games!

#blackprivilege

[taxcontrol]

I disagree. She recognized that she was not able to compete at the Olympic level and stepped aside to allow others their shot.

Right thing to do when your “head isn’t in the game.”

[ltc8k6]

You know there’s a woman in her 40s competing,right?

[dfwgator]

Is she expected to Medal?

[dfwgator]

Ok fine, leave her alone, and don’t mention her anymore.

But I have the feeling that’s not what Simone and NBC want.

[Theoria]

Why would you include that stock photo in that gossip article, when has nothing to do with Biles.

[RayChuang88]

She’s still scheduled for the individual events where she can win her own medals. Let’s wait and see if she recovers quickly enough to win her own medals.

Hopefully. But is Simone Biles suddenly leaves the Olympic Games and shows up in the USA by the end of this week (the individual events competition is next week), then even her more ardent supporters are going to start asking some really hard questions.

[Phlap]

I believe Miss Biles is showing her amateurism, nothing more or less. Were she a pro, she would be in breach, IMHO.

[AAABEST]

I don't hate her, and didn't complain about anything. In fact, I barely heard of her and don't GAF if she lives or dies. I wasn't even on this thread.

You asked a question. Try to follow along with your own conversations.

[Polyxene]

I keep thinking about Kerri Strug and how she did her final vault on a bad ankle. THAT was courage and an indomitable spirit! Bela Karolyi was not liked by a lot of people, but he got results, and he didn’t suffer quitters.

[bunster]

Mmmm, see a trend here. Markel, Osaka, Biles — all claim mental health problems.

Oh well, their names will be forgotten by next Olympics where we’ll be saying “what was the name of that tennis player, or that gymnast, or that pretend princess?”