Simone Biles

[K For Three]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

[bwgood77]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

Just came here to post about this. Surprising, but I can understand having dealt with mental health issues myself. Obviously it was impacting her...all the pressure. So many st0ars (mostly in other areas such as actors/musicians) succumb to drugs or other things...but even Michael Phelps...plenty of athletes too.

Better to retire to take care of oneself rather than let the pressure get to where it is too much and get into self medicating.

[K For Three]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

Just came here to post about this. Surprising, but I can understand having dealt with mental health issues myself. Obviously it was impacting her...all the pressure. So many stars (mostly in other areas such as actors/musicians) succumb to drugs or other things...but even Michael Phelps...plenty of athletes too.

Better to retire to take care of oneself rather than let the pressure get to where it is too much and get into self medicating.

Oh I agree, it's better to take care of yourself but it still bothers me to see the gold slip away. (And to Russia too...would been easier if it was the UK who took the bronze)

I used to do tons and tons of figure skating competitions until I was 18. I know it's tough to stand there in front of judges and have to be perfect......and I never had to compete at a national level let alone the Olympic level. All the stuff I did was New England based.

I also noticed Simone was not herself all the time in these Olympics with tiny slip ups. Doesn't help the media puts such enormous pressure on her and constantly calls her the best.

[a8bil]

As a father of a daughter who was a near elite level gymnast, I have marveled at the spectacle that has been Simone Biles. She has been so far beyond any other gymnast that has gone before her that you had to sometimes wonder if she was human.

So many young women fall out of the sport because of injuries...my daughter included. But the bigger toll has always seemed to be mental. When a gymnast gets the yips...the outcomes can be catastrophic. A hesitation on the vault, or on the bars, beam or floor can lead to serious injury. These women have spent most of their lives watching one after another of their fellow gymnasts fall during routines that resulted in broken wrists, separated shoulders, torn acls, broken ankles...in the worst cases, paralysis. It is a risk of the sport, and it often gets the best of the athletes. It's not like standing over an important putt, overthinking the stroke. For these athletes, to launch into tumbling run with any doubt as to whether they will land their skill can lead to debilitating mental blocks. I have seen young women stand ready to start their tumbling routines and just freeze for minutes because they can't get themselves to start. It's difficult to watch.

Biles, by contrast, seemed to perform without care, even as she attempted increasingly difficult skills that put her further beyond her fellow athletes, but closer and closer to a major fail. I have seen other gymnast who may not have had Simone's talent, but they were close physically. Mentally? No comparison. The risks Simone Biles took left my daughter and her gymnast friends in awe.

Well, it seems that the mental aspect of the sport finally caught up to her. I'm happy she was able to admit to herself that she was no longer able to cope with the stress. Failing to do so could have resulted in her suffering injury. Already, she was missing her skills in alarming fashion, almost jumping off the side of the landing mat on the vault for example. Things were amiss and I for one am glad she was human enough to acknowledge her frailty. It will help other athletes understand that their fears are not unique and that even the GOAT in their sport is human.

[Dr Positivity]

I don't really understand quitting in the middle of the event. I think you either make this decision early enough to let someone else take her place/let the team adjust their plan, or you go through with it once it starts. It's on her that someone else didn't get to compete. Still Biles >>> me so whatever do your thing.

[a8bil]

I don't really understand quitting in the middle of the event. I think you either make this decision early enough to let someone else take her place/let the team adjust their plan, or you go through with it once it starts. It's on her that someone else didn't get to compete. Still Biles >>> me so whatever do your thing.

You mean, like Kevin Love quitting in a game because of a panic attack? When those around an athlete don't understand the mental issues they are going through, they will continue to have expectations that the athlete will continue to perform at a high level, and I imagine Biles did not want to let down her teammates on the world stage. Replacing Simone with a lesser gymnast meant that the US was unlikely to win gold. Biles tried to tough her way through it, but it was clear she was off, and in gymnastics, being off is dangerous.

[Pharmcat]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

No need for mixed feelings. This is a assault victim who had a history of depression. If she thought she wasn’t good enough to go that should be good enough for the rest of us. I can’t imagine the pain all of nassar victims go through. If anyone is mad, direct it to USA gymnastics who had Nassar around

[K For Three]

I had forgotten about that too, the sexual abuse aspect of it all, which includes Simone Biles.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2021/07/27/usa-gymnastics-larry-nasser-abuse-scandal-looms-over-tokyo-olympics/5375279001/

[K For Three]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

No need for mixed feelings. This is a assault victim who had a history of depression. If she thought she wasn’t good enough to go that should be good enough for the rest of us. I can’t imagine the pain all of nassar victims go through. If anyone is mad, direct it to USA gymnastics who had Nassar around

Just posted an article about it. I had forgotten about the abuse.

I get caught up in the moment though, they truly deserved gold IMO but I do understand. It just sucks to me that this situation even had to happen and the circumstances that led to it.

[Pharmcat]

I have mixed feelings on it all.

On one hand I understand it, it's tough to compete under that pressure and she wasn't at her best. And her mental health is what matters most.

On the other hand, it hurts to see them win silver when they should have been bringing home the gold. And Russia of all countries wins the gold.

No need for mixed feelings. This is a assault victim who had a history of depression. If she thought she wasn’t good enough to go that should be good enough for the rest of us. I can’t imagine the pain all of nassar victims go through. If anyone is mad, direct it to USA gymnastics who had Nassar around

Just posted an article about it. I had forgotten about the abuse.

I get caught up in the moment though, they truly deserved gold IMO but I do understand. It just sucks to me that this situation even had to happen and the circumstances that led to it.

Hey if she faked and used it as an excuse then yes she should get the scorn but we have no proof of that.

I’m assuming the pressure and stuff got to her and she had a panic/anxiety attack in the moment , you don’t want to be doing gymnastics at that time as you could hurt yourself. Plus she’s the only one of nassar victims from last olympics that made it to this Olympics so that right there should be celebrated. Our institutions keep failing the people, that’s who we all should be mad at.

[sikma42]

It's just an all around sad situation. She put a lot of pressure on herself (she wore a GOAT leotard and constantly propped herself up). Then when it came time to put up, she couldn't. You can frame this as a mental health issue or you can frame it as arrogance/not being able to cash the check you wrote. If she didn't go around calling herself the GOAT, I'd have a way way way more sympathy towards this performance.

[Dr Positivity]

I think some of the criticisms are too far but I also think she's not a hero. The truth is somewhere in the middle. Treat it like an injury.

[bwgood77]

There should be no criticism. Mental health is more important. So is physical health if she was getting lost in the air. She could have easily had a bad landing and broken something....even as serious as a neck or back. Not likely, but possible. And if she was putting the team first, it's huge. She had so much pressure and a lot less experience than a guy like Phelps. And lets face it, swimming is easier than perfecting these flips in the air that have never been done before...many people can swim various strokes that never add any increased difficulty or challenges...same with just about any event outside of maybe diving, which at least you get to land on water.

[ABucksFan]

Curious, what's the reaction if Lebron decided not to play in a Game 7 of the NBA finals, citing mental health issues?

I understand that context matters and it's not fair to compare. I'm just genuinely curious what people's thoughts are.

[Texas Chuck]

**** ridiculous that anyone feels like they have any right at all to question her commitment/heart/patriotism/anything here. GTFO with that. Her health is her business. It's not her responsibility to entertain you or win your country a medal.

Disgraceful this is even a discussion.

[dirkforpres]

She has given enough and then some to Team USA. She deserves a break

[WarriorGM]

Curious, what's the reaction if Lebron decided not to play in a Game 7 of the NBA finals, citing mental health issues?

I understand that context matters and it's not fair to compare. I'm just genuinely curious what people's thoughts are.

A basketball player not executing will look silly. A gymnast not executing might severely injure herself depending on the routine.

The Osaka situation I think would be closer to the basketball example but it's an individual sport and she was able to withdraw early.

The gymnastic team had an alternate and they continued. Maybe they could have still won. In the event they did get the silver. There were worse possible outcomes.

[bradybunch]

Did she quit because she wasn't doing well?

I have no idea about her or gymnastics, so forgive my ignorance.

I do recall some girl a long time ago refusing to quit with a fractured tibia and landing an incredible vault.

[Pointgod]

The best point I’ve seen made about this comes from First Take of all places. Michael Jordan at literally the peak of his career quit basketball to go play baseball for two years. Back then this wouldn’t wasn’t talked about as mental health, but it’s most definitely mental health. Everyone can kindly shut the **** up about their opinions on Simone Biles and her decisions for mental health.

[dlts20]

As a father of a daughter who was a near elite level gymnast, I have marveled at the spectacle that has been Simone Biles. She has been so far beyond any other gymnast that has gone before her that you had to sometimes wonder if she was human.

So many young women fall out of the sport because of injuries...my daughter included. But the bigger toll has always seemed to be mental. When a gymnast gets the yips...the outcomes can be catastrophic. A hesitation on the vault, or on the bars, beam or floor can lead to serious injury. These women have spent most of their lives watching one after another of their fellow gymnasts fall during routines that resulted in broken wrists, separated shoulders, torn acls, broken ankles...in the worst cases, paralysis. It is a risk of the sport, and it often gets the best of the athletes. It's not like standing over an important putt, overthinking the stroke. For these athletes, to launch into tumbling run with any doubt as to whether they will land their skill can lead to debilitating mental blocks. I have seen young women stand ready to start their tumbling routines and just freeze for minutes because they can't get themselves to start. It's difficult to watch.

Biles, by contrast, seemed to perform without care, even as she attempted increasingly difficult skills that put her further beyond her fellow athletes, but closer and closer to a major fail. I have seen other gymnast who may not have had Simone's talent, but they were close physically. Mentally? No comparison. The risks Simone Biles took left my daughter and her gymnast friends in awe.

Well, it seems that the mental aspect of the sport finally caught up to her. I'm happy she was able to admit to herself that she was no longer able to cope with the stress. Failing to do so could have resulted in her suffering injury. Already, she was missing her skills in alarming fashion, almost jumping off the side of the landing mat on the vault for example. Things were amiss and I for one am glad she was human enough to acknowledge her frailty. It will help other athletes understand that their fears are not unique and that even the GOAT in their sport is human.

How long did your daughter participate for and how was her growth physically. I was going to put my daughter in gymnastics until I read that it stunts your growth