Biles out

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

And yet she performed in competition two days before- not her best but she was still able to do it and qualify in first. Something clearly got worse in those two days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish the other team members were getting as much press as Biles is. They pulled it together and won silver. That says something positive about their mental health/resilience.

*1. It’s been treated like an afterthought by the press. That is a tremendous accomplishment.

They are being treated like they lost.

They did lose, didn't they? Russia won and it wasn't a favorite going in.

They were favorites going in based on a team selected that included Simone competing all four events. Not only did they have to do 3 events without her, to win gold they would have had to overcome Simone's vault score. To compare, Simone's high score on vault at nationals was 15.8 and she got something like a 13.7 or 8 yesterday. On top of that, the other team members subbing in had not even warmed up on the apparatus they were not originally designated to compete on.

Did the other three under perform? You could make an argument that two of them could have done better. Jordan Chiles definitely could have. However, Suni Lee tied for the highest bars score, had the second highest beam score, and on floor, the event she did not plan to compete, she got the 8th highest score of all gymnasts. That is an absolutely incredible performance, especially under the circumstances.

Those trashing the performance of the other women aren’t helping Simone’s case. The bolded is being ignored — anyone want to think about the mental stress of being told — mid-competition in the freaking Olympics — that you have to perform an event that you didn’t even warm up for? What about their mental health? Not to mention the fact that there is probably someone lower on the team who wasn’t as good all around as Biles, but would have done better on one or more of the remaining events than the three that were left. I think the woman who is competing in the individual all-around is 9th on the team, but placed very highly (like 2nd?) in qualifying on an individual event.

I do think it would behoove her to show a bit of sympathy for her teammates. She acts like she was doing them a favor. “It was best for them that I quit.” Really? What would have been best for them was if she had quit before the event or even before the Olympic trials. “You don’t owe anyone a gold medal.” If you try out for the Olympic team, you actually do owe your teammates — and the country you represent. It was the team event she dropped out of.

Not to mention the fact that she made sure, by doing it the way she did, that everyone us talking about her, not the women who had to step up and perform.

I’m not saying she should have continued, but I haven’t heard anything from her that sounds like contrition or sympathy for the awful position she put those three women in. It seems like these days, citing your own mental health excuses any kind of harm done to others — “mental health” means never having to say you’re sorry?

Awful position? Are you serious? These women have been training their whole lives to get to compete at the Olympics. It sucks when someone has to step down, but it is an OPPORTUNITY for the others who get to step up and replace her. To get so close, and be the reserve, has to be far more heartbreaking than getting a chance to compete.

You must not do Olympic sports. In my sport we had a couple last minute substitutions, and while we were all heartbroken for the competitors who couldn’t go after ALL those years of training and getting on the team….the reserve is absolutely ecstatic to be competing. That’s normal. Not to feel put upon.

The bolded is true only if the reserve has been training for it and warmed up properly. No one is ecstatic to perform in something unprepared.

Of course they have been training for it, they are the traveling reserve. They are literally treated as if they might need to step in any moment as the competing athlete…because they might. That is how being the reserve works.

They had not warmed upon the apparatus they weren't designated to compete on. Jordan Chiles was not rostered to do bars and beam, and Suni Lee was not rostered to do floor. Apparently they didn't warm up on those events in the practice gym before the competition.

The “apparatus” are all set to a very specific standard so there isn’t that much difference among any of them. I am sure the reserves had done the routines many, many times on a basically identical structure—as evidenced by the fact they rocked it. I am sure they are delighted with their opportunity to compete.

So, now we’re back to “these women are tough and have absolutely no reason to be stressed?” The double standard here is amazing. Biles backed out on events that she had prepared and warmed up for, and that’s perfectly understandable — praiseworthy even! — but these women are “delighted” to compete in events they didn’t get to be prepared for with millions of people watching? No extra stress there.

The other women presumably weren't suffering from mental health challenges as Biles was. You sound like you don't believe mental health is a legitimate concern, and that makes me pity those who have to be are around you.

DP. “Presumably” is doing a lot of work in your post.

Half the posts on here are lurid descriptions of how dangerous the sport is and accusing anyone who does anything other than praise Biles for how brave she was of not caring if she died. However, the women who were suddenly put into the position of performing in those same events with no warm up on the biggest stage there is are “lucky” and should be “thrilled” to be put in that position. I guess these events aren’t dangerous for them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

Has any gymnasts ever pulled out of Olympics because of the “twisties?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

Has any gymnasts ever pulled out of Olympics because of the “twisties?”

Idk

Jacoby Miles Posted this week that the trusties are why she is in a wheelchair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

Has any gymnasts ever pulled out of Olympics because of the “twisties?”

Idk

Jacoby Miles Posted this week that the trusties are why she is in a wheelchair.

It happens mid air. It isn’t something you can anticipate and you don’t drop out of whole competitions. It doesn’t work that way.

[Anonymous]

For those of you minimizing “the twisties,” despite the cute sounding name, it’s a loss of spatial awareness when you are in the air. Could lead to horrible falls that could cause paralysis or death. On last night’s coverage, Nastia Liukin confirmed that Biles mentioned losing her sense of where she was in the air during the vault. This is not just a “meh, I’m not feeling it” kind of situation. She did the right thing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you minimizing “the twisties,” despite the cute sounding name, it’s a loss of spatial awareness when you are in the air. Could lead to horrible falls that could cause paralysis or death. On last night’s coverage, Nastia Liukin confirmed that Biles mentioned losing her sense of where she was in the air during the vault. This is not just a “meh, I’m not feeling it” kind of situation. She did the right thing.

I know the loss of aerial awareness is a big fear of divers, too, especially 10m platform divers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish she'd made her decision two hours earlier. Then an alternate, who has also been working her whole life for a chance at the Olympics, could have had a chance to compete. There are several fabulous US alternates who will never get to make an Olympic appearance because of the deep US bench, when they could easily lead a team if they were competing for any other country.

It is Biles' right to sit out, but she should have made the call sooner.

She should have known that her body would do 1.5 when she told it to do 2.5 2 hours before it happened?

No, she has said she felt mentally unwell for days or weeks before. All of the talk about the twisties and issues with the 1.5 are speculation by posters. I don't think pulling out suddenly dawned on her after the 1.5--she was too composed for that to be true. She'd clearly been thinking about it as an option coming into the competition.

Simone herself mentioned the twisties, so I'm not sure why you are saying it's speculation.

Has any gymnasts ever pulled out of Olympics because of the “twisties?”

Idk

Jacoby Miles Posted this week that the trusties are why she is in a wheelchair.

It happens mid air. It isn’t something you can anticipate and you don’t drop out of whole competitions. It doesn’t work that way.

Yea and then you break your neck and end up in a wheelchair

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you minimizing “the twisties,” despite the cute sounding name, it’s a loss of spatial awareness when you are in the air. Could lead to horrible falls that could cause paralysis or death. On last night’s coverage, Nastia Liukin confirmed that Biles mentioned losing her sense of where she was in the air during the vault. This is not just a “meh, I’m not feeling it” kind of situation. She did the right thing.

I know the loss of aerial awareness is a big fear of divers, too, especially 10m platform divers.

+1 Unlike swimming or tennis, you can easily break your neck in gymnastics. I suspect many of the anti-Biles posters would prefer she did that. And then they'd be ripping her for being too reckless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wish the other team members were getting as much press as Biles is. They pulled it together and won silver. That says something positive about their mental health/resilience.

*1. It’s been treated like an afterthought by the press. That is a tremendous accomplishment.

They are being treated like they lost.

They did lose, didn't they? Russia won and it wasn't a favorite going in.

They were favorites going in based on a team selected that included Simone competing all four events. Not only did they have to do 3 events without her, to win gold they would have had to overcome Simone's vault score. To compare, Simone's high score on vault at nationals was 15.8 and she got something like a 13.7 or 8 yesterday. On top of that, the other team members subbing in had not even warmed up on the apparatus they were not originally designated to compete on.

Did the other three under perform? You could make an argument that two of them could have done better. Jordan Chiles definitely could have. However, Suni Lee tied for the highest bars score, had the second highest beam score, and on floor, the event she did not plan to compete, she got the 8th highest score of all gymnasts. That is an absolutely incredible performance, especially under the circumstances.

Those trashing the performance of the other women aren’t helping Simone’s case. The bolded is being ignored — anyone want to think about the mental stress of being told — mid-competition in the freaking Olympics — that you have to perform an event that you didn’t even warm up for? What about their mental health? Not to mention the fact that there is probably someone lower on the team who wasn’t as good all around as Biles, but would have done better on one or more of the remaining events than the three that were left. I think the woman who is competing in the individual all-around is 9th on the team, but placed very highly (like 2nd?) in qualifying on an individual event.

I do think it would behoove her to show a bit of sympathy for her teammates. She acts like she was doing them a favor. “It was best for them that I quit.” Really? What would have been best for them was if she had quit before the event or even before the Olympic trials. “You don’t owe anyone a gold medal.” If you try out for the Olympic team, you actually do owe your teammates — and the country you represent. It was the team event she dropped out of.

Not to mention the fact that she made sure, by doing it the way she did, that everyone us talking about her, not the women who had to step up and perform.

I’m not saying she should have continued, but I haven’t heard anything from her that sounds like contrition or sympathy for the awful position she put those three women in. It seems like these days, citing your own mental health excuses any kind of harm done to others — “mental health” means never having to say you’re sorry?

Awful position? Are you serious? These women have been training their whole lives to get to compete at the Olympics. It sucks when someone has to step down, but it is an OPPORTUNITY for the others who get to step up and replace her. To get so close, and be the reserve, has to be far more heartbreaking than getting a chance to compete.

You must not do Olympic sports. In my sport we had a couple last minute substitutions, and while we were all heartbroken for the competitors who couldn’t go after ALL those years of training and getting on the team….the reserve is absolutely ecstatic to be competing. That’s normal. Not to feel put upon.

The bolded is true only if the reserve has been training for it and warmed up properly. No one is ecstatic to perform in something unprepared.

Of course they have been training for it, they are the traveling reserve. They are literally treated as if they might need to step in any moment as the competing athlete…because they might. That is how being the reserve works.

They had not warmed upon the apparatus they weren't designated to compete on. Jordan Chiles was not rostered to do bars and beam, and Suni Lee was not rostered to do floor. Apparently they didn't warm up on those events in the practice gym before the competition.

The “apparatus” are all set to a very specific standard so there isn’t that much difference among any of them. I am sure the reserves had done the routines many, many times on a basically identical structure—as evidenced by the fact they rocked it. I am sure they are delighted with their opportunity to compete.

So, now we’re back to “these women are tough and have absolutely no reason to be stressed?” The double standard here is amazing. Biles backed out on events that she had prepared and warmed up for, and that’s perfectly understandable — praiseworthy even! — but these women are “delighted” to compete in events they didn’t get to be prepared for with millions of people watching? No extra stress there.

The other women presumably weren't suffering from mental health challenges as Biles was. You sound like you don't believe mental health is a legitimate concern, and that makes me pity those who have to be are around you.

DP. “Presumably” is doing a lot of work in your post.

Half the posts on here are lurid descriptions of how dangerous the sport is and accusing anyone who does anything other than praise Biles for how brave she was of not caring if she died. However, the women who were suddenly put into the position of performing in those same events with no warm up on the biggest stage there is are “lucky” and should be “thrilled” to be put in that position. I guess these events aren’t dangerous for them.

I appreciate what you’re trying to say and agree that those gymnasts were put in a tough position that they rightfully wouldn’t necessarily feel thrilled or lucky to be in. But I think you’re conflating two different risks.

[Anonymous]

It’s possible to both feel that biles did the right thing for her safety AND that she’s full of herself. The two are not mutually exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s possible to both feel that biles did the right thing for her safety AND that she’s full of herself. The two are not mutually exclusive.

It’s possible you are full of yourself too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It’s possible to both feel that biles did the right thing for her safety AND that she’s full of herself. The two are not mutually exclusive.

Sure. I don't feel that way, but you certainly can. I don't think most people who think she is full of herself actually know much about her or follow her career. I think a lot of it is just trying to tear her down out of sheer nastiness. The PP who dislikes Simone and Usain Bolt had a strong "uppity black" undertone in their post. So I think most of it is just hate with a good dose of racism and misogyny thrown in. And like typical mediocre white people, they love to use other black athletes against one another (horrible take comparing her to Michael Jordan) Gag.

I find her to be a great role model for young women and girls, and exceptionally brave. She is a good human which was obvious in how much time she spent nurturing Jordan during the qualifications right before she had to go on herself.