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© 2021 AFPBiles' Olympic fate in balance as support pours in
By Sara HUSSEIN and Nick REEVES TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
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© 2021 AFP
35 Comments
Wolfpack
Biles shouldn’t have come if she were not up to it. She let her teammates down and cost them a once in a lifetime opportunity for a gold medal and the fulfillment of their dreams. The team would have made different tactical choices without their team leader and frankly, the greatest gymnast male or female in Olympic history.
lostrune2
According to her own words, her teammates stepped up when she couldn't, and congratulated them for having her back
https://www.instagram.com/p/CR1qltpBe3k/
Her teammates competed admirably when they knew all their scores would count and they can no longer drop the lowest score
It's probably for the better Biles exited when her mind isn't up to it, instead of making a mess out there that would further demoralize the team
We'll see what happens in the individual finals
Grumpy Gaijin
She's a human-being. Even great athletes succumb to pressure. Nothing wrong with that.
oldman_13
I feel bad for her. Sometimes it just happens when the mental block comes through. She's a fighter though so hopefully she'll compete individually.
Ricky Kaminski13
They do say it’s hard at the top, but that’s where true champions shine.
Antiquesaving
I am in no way downplaying mental health issues but these days the go to reason for not preforming well or doing something wrong in the sports or celebrity world is to say "my mental health" and everyone supports or forgives.
This rarely applies to us mere mortals, if we pull out of our work or don't finish a job regardless of the reason, few if anyone will pay us on the back and tell us how brave we are for doing that.
No more likely we are fired, end up In litigation for not fulfilling our contract, etc ..
As I said I am not downplaying the issue but I worry it give not celebrities and not special Athletes the wrong impression as if life works that way for everyone.
Blacklabel
she gets special treatment like others due to her activist politics, its that simple.
Some dude
I’ve never competed in sport at a high level, but to the best of my recollection, this used to be called “quitting”.
Harry_Gatto
Not sure just what is in her mind right now but if she doesn't believe that she can do it then she shouldn't compete. She said -
She's proved her worth many times over but she's right, not be in the right mindset, get it wrong and she could be seriously hurt. As we have seen in tennis, if you're not feeling up to it mentally you'll lose but you don't run the risk of crippling yourself for life.
Blacklabel
quitting is even more impressive than winning!
https://news.yahoo.com/simone-biles-withdrawal-more-impressive-145544415.html
NOMINATION
Besides that, up until now the U.S. has 29 medals which includes 10 Golds. Where is the outpouring of congratulatory messages from celebrities and the White House for those winners?
Cricky
She is only 24, achieved more than most. She could be honest and call it over at this moment. Or as many seem to believe battle on until she is hanging from a bed sheet. She is 24 under enough pressure already. A happy life does not include strangers attacking her for taking the most difficult decision. But when your most confrontational situation is getting out of your mum’s chair to begrudgingly answer the doorbell. Might be time to have a moment to review your life achievements over the last 24 years.
Cricky
Wish I’d had the sense to quit many things at 24.
Paustovsky
@Blacklabel
The worrying amount of time you spend on here suggests you need help. Take a walk in the woods. Listen to nature. It is just Christian compassion for your being.
Cricky
It’s sport people has nothing at all to do with left or right politics. Really do you watch the gymnastics and say ohhhh they are right wing? Athletes such a bunch of left wing people. Are you mad? What does politics actually have to do with young people focusing on a goal. As an adult my focus is on what next? It’s hard to top completion at this level. And they are so young. Decision making not a strong point.
Commodore Perry
CrickyToday 01:52 pm JST
For starters, the athletes are representing a country.
Blacklabel
yeah, at least she quit before hurting herself. Thats good, I guess.
But not what a team leader and the GOAT would do. so thats all gone now.
Cricky
For starters, the athletes are representing a country.
so their mental Health is less important than a vague sense of social identity? Could be representing any country. And is a country so vain, has so little confidence it needs validation from a chosen few who win a shinny thing?
‘well I feel I represent people…I don’t want a medal ( be nice) if you your country needs to be awarded a shiny thing to make you feel better for being excited about someone’s achievements that you had no part of. You are easily pleased. I understand the effort taken to get to this level, but I had nothing to do with it. I just rejoice in their success my country or not.
garypen
They'll most likely be invited to the White House, as has been tradition. But, I'll bet they won't be serving hamberders and cofvefe this time.
lostrune2
No, she's still the GOAT since she's won more world GOLD medals than others have world TOTAL medals
How many other times she's the one who carried the team? Many many times
It's one thing if she has done nothing for the team in prior competitions and then she did this, But it's another thing if she's the main one carrying the team for multiple years, and then she has this one hiccup
Michael Jordan could had missed the last jumpshot against the Jazz and not win his 6th NBA Championship, and he'd still be the GOAT - because he's carried the Bulls all those years they won their 5 other championships
And the same here - Biles had a hiccup, but she's still the GOAT because she has accumulated so much in her resume that nobody else is even close to her
That's why she's being forgiven - because she's already done a lot, much more than anyone before her had done. She has enough cheques that she can cash
Commodore Perry
Hope Biles is feeling well.
As far as all time great, Nadia Comaneci by a mile.
lostrune2
Lol, Comaneci's not even close (13 total world medals: 7G, 5S, 1B) to Biles' 23 world Gs alone (not even counting her other medals)
Comaneci's the Kevin Durant to Simon Biles' Michael Jordan
Commodore Perry
lostrune2Today 02:58 pm JST
So if someone runs one 100m race, sets a world record, wins one medal, and never runs again, while someone else wins 50 medals in the 100m race, but never runs faster than the first guy, you give the second guy the GOAT label just because of number of medals?
LOL.
Commodore Perry
Not the definitive opinion, but an interesting read.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/1265998-power-ranking-the-25-best-womens-gymnasts-in-olympic-history
ulysses
Bullying young women, especially one of color is a part of the loony right wing's lifestyle.
I wish her all the best and hope she recovers soon.
Which part of the 23 Gs wasn't clear??? Biles has outshined everyone else by a mile.
Paustovsky
@Commodore Perry
Your prejudice is clouding your judgement.
https://achievement.org/achiever/simone-biles/
Speed
It's not quoted above but in other articles, it has her saying she's not having fun in these Games.
I'm sorry, but she should push through her lack of having fun or her mental block of performing badly for her teammates.
If there was a chance she was going to quit like this because things weren't "fun" anymore, she should've given her spot to someone mentally more fit.
kyushubill
While I do not support the games this time around I do respect these athletes.
The daily testing, isolation, restricted movement, and so on must really take a psychological toll on top of the nerves of competition.