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Simone is nearly 25, which is old for a gymnast. She's already won 6 olympic metals (4 of which are gold) and 25 world metals (19 of which are gold). In short, there was really no need for Simone, who has led the team in two past Olympic Games, to be in Tokyo. There is nothing for her to prove.
Okay. SO THEN DON'T GO AND PULL OUT! Give your spot to another person!
Don't participate in all the lead-up to the Olympics, calling yourself the "Goat" etc. Just drop out and allow the team to move on with someone that doesn't have mental issues.
I wouldn’t want any child of mine doing those hard gymnastics , look at Simones body , her legs look like tree trunks , her body’s not a normal shape for a young girl , even her face looks startled all the time , I don’t recall her being one of the girls that doctor treated , seems that came up just a lately
How many gymnasts has this happened to in history?
1? 2?
Now how would I know that? I do know gymnastics is an extremely dangerous sport and given the moves she does it would put her at great risk if she were to wipe out again the way she did in that other event.
You can take this personally and pout all you want, but that's the reality of the sport.
We literally sent her to Tokyo to represent us, so what she does actually does impact us. We trusted that she would do her best and that she had the mental strength to do as she has done before. Even if she felt that she didn't have it in her, she should have stuck it out, that's what teammates do. Win as a team, lose as a team.
It's too bad, this will place a stain on her amazing record.
Correct. THAT'S the point!
It's not even that she pulled out. It's that we are CONGRATULATING HER FOR IT!
It shows the shift in values in our country. It's a larger message than just gymnastics which no one gives a crap about except for one week every 4 years.
I doubt as many people would be looking to criticize if people weren't making her out to be brave or a hero. Some of the criticism I'm seeing is against the notion that she is a brave hero than it is against the young woman herself. In order to counter the brave hero claim though, you have to criticize her a bit, even if you wouldn't have otherwise. For example I think she choked. Not the end of the world but that's what I think. I would've kept it to myself if people weren't going on about what a brave hero she is.
If you want to treat mental illness like a regular physical injury then do so. You don't call someone a brave hero if they drop out of an event because of a bum knee. There might be some people arguing over how bad the knee injury really was but the whole brave hero argument wouldn't be a part of it and there probably wouldn't be a 35 page thread about it on the P&OC forum.
From all accounts, Biles is a nice person. But this stunt that she pulled in is completely embarrassing to the country and it discredits the games. She didn't even try. I would have more respect for her if she tried, failed, and crash and burned. At least she tried. Of course, she is under tremendous mental and physical stress, this is what she trained her entire life for. Back in the day trainers were hard on athletes to build them up mentally. I guess they have steered away from that type of training for a new soft-touch approach, and this is what you get. A quitter. Simone Biles is a quitter. Live with that the rest of your life and take a deep breath in every time someone asks you if you feel like you're a quitter as you lie and say no, you aren't. But deep down, each and every day you wake up and look in the mirror you will always know you are a quitter. Live with that mental stress and see which one is worse to deal with.
Remember when Strug tried to push through and continue competition at her coaches urging? She had to be carried off the mat and was retired from gymnastics at 18 due to her injury.
Good on Biles for looking out for her own well being.
Now how would I know that? I do know gymnastics is an extremely dangerous sport and given the moves she does it would put her at great risk if she were to wipe out again the way she did in that other event.
You can take this personally and pout all you want, but that's the reality of the sport.
Well if you "know that it's extremely dangerous," what are you basing that on?
Didn't you actually research that, or are you just believing the BS line that the media is feeding you now?
And she should have stepped back and allowed some other person to take her spot. Somewhere is a young girl who would have gone to the Olympics, but she was the cut off.
It doesn't work that way. In order to make it to the olympics and represent the U.S., you have to earn your spot on the team by competing. Perhaps you meant, she should have never tried out for the U.S. Olympic gymnastic team this year.
I think, due to her age, and the fact that she had already achieved so much, there was no reason for her to compete for a spot on the olympic team.
I also think that the team which was assembled is very strong and this showed, because even without Simone, they still won silver. Also, Sunni Lee (who is 18) just won gold in the individual all around.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by paracord
How many gymnasts has this happened to in history?
1? 2?
Since I know two former gymnasts who were injured while on track to possibly compete in the Olympics who are now permanently injured (one in a wheelchair and one with disabling back issues) there must be lots.
When Dr. Laura Schlessinger had a radio show, she always encouraged parents to get their kids involved in sports and other positive activities, except gymnastics. It's too dangerous, she'd say and wouldn't entertain calls about involvement in competitive gymnastics.
It's dangerous. Just LOOK at what they're doing, and that should be your answer.
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