| For not feeling the pressure to wear a shiny red 90s scrunched, eschew edge control, and for saying no to the toddler-ish shiny red bottom unitard. |
| Grow tf up, OP. |
| Oh, I thought this was going to be something amazing like Jordan Chiles had stepped aside to let the younger generation in. I find it so incredibly selfish of people like Simone Biles just to keep going and shut amazing young athletes like Hezley, Tiana, Jocelyn, and others from shining. |
It is ok for adults to exist in gymnastics. It is ok to look like an adult in gymnastics. Everything doesn't need to be toddler like. Everything doesn't need to be hugging for everything, speaking in baby voice, pretending the other around you are besties and not competitors, etc |
| There are no toddlers involved here, sweetie pie. |
I watched Hezley's bars today and was really impressed. I think the thinking is twofold: 1. With Simone, she full on said she stayed in the game to bring awareness and change re: the abuse that was happening. 2. Some people have nothing else going on in their lives. Madison Kocian went to UCLA after the Olympics and has become a physician's assistant or something. But someone like Gabrielle Douglas didn't go to college and hasn't transitioned to doing something else - some mild social media influencer work, but what else? She's floated around and finally tried to make another go of gymnastics at 27. What else does she have? She didn't transition to public/motivational speaking (Shawn Johnson East), to opening her own gym (Dominique Dawes/Moceanu, Chellsie M., Kim Z, etc.), to advocacy work (Aly Raisman), to running the National team (Chellsie M and Alicia S.), to sportscaster (Laurie Hernandez, Samantha P.), to running her own gymnastics competitions and/or clinics (Samatha P., Nastia Luikin). So what else is there? Simone promoted an unaccredited college after her first Olympics but never completed any degree. She does some influencer work. Eventually her body WILl give out. Olympic gold medals don't "pay" that much. It doesn't even cover the cost of coaching. Someone like Jade Carey doing her second Olympics? I mean, whatever - she had to deal with the weird Covid Olympics so maybe she just wants a normal one. I feel bad for people like Simone B. and Gabrielle Douglas who don't seem to be pivoting to another career - their bodies are going to fall apart in their 40's - hip or knee replacements, osteoporosis, etc. Simone has already said she has horrible back pain all the time. |
Biles did not fully compete in her last Olympics because she got the twisties. And it was the weird Covid Olympics which no doubt played a role in that happening -- it threw off everyone's prep and the experience in Tokyo was super weird with the restricted Olympics village and the tiny crowds. You are really going to begrudge Simone freaking Biles for seeing if she can make another Olympic team (and absolutely proving she deserves a spot on it by simply being better and doing harder routines than everyone else)? I do wish there were more of the younger gymnasts on the team because I think many of them are exciting to watch. But Tiana and Hezly are 16. Jocelyn is 18. There is time for them. And they all showed signs of being less mature competitors at the trials. I personally think it's great how many of the women are current college gymnasts or in their 20s. College gymnastics is incredibly exciting these days and I think these women bring a lot of maturity and professionalism to the sport. Plus I love the vibe of womens' gymnastics these days where it really is about the gymnasts and the team and so much less about the coaches and the gyms they come up in. It shows real growth in the industry in terms of empowering individual athletes and it was obviously sorely needed in a sport that has exploited very young women for way too long. I love that these gymnasts are staying healthy and competitive long enough to compete at such a high level well into their 20s if they wish to. I love that this is a sport for adults now (as men's gymnastics has been for a long time) and the focus is on power and strength and competitive grit instead of on being cute tiny girls under the control of a few all powerful adults. So much healthier for everyone involved. Including the younger group of gymnasts on their way up. |
Gabrielle Douglas received a lot of heat for not smiling enough--no one likes reserved, talented black women |
I remember that - and for having messy hair, which I notice Simone has sometimes too. Messy hair, don't care - show me how well you flip. |
Then how do you explain your pathetic existence, sweetie pie? |
| Why should the best gymnast in the world stop doing gymnastics when she is still the best gymnast in the world? |
I think Simone and Suni intentionally keep their "gym rat" hair for competition specifically as an fu to critics who want these women to be perfectly done up while the compete in an incredibly difficult sport. Notice that they will have a full face of makeup and Simone wears huge false eyelashes but they still wear their hair in messy buns with no hairspray or pins to keep flyaways in check. It's a purposeful choice and I do think it dates back to Gabby getting a ton of criticism for her hair and that criticism being both sexist and racist because part of the issue was with Gabby's hair texture and treatment. In any case these are Olympic athletes doing stuff I could never do in a million years and I don't care how they wear their hair. They aren't beauty queens. |
Agree with the bolded. Watching Gabby on bars this year was awesome. She's still got it. Stupid Covid. |
Stupid questions get stupid answers |
✊🏿 |