WAG Biles is out ....

[Ginger]

Sadly

 

[Deleted member 26718]

That's really sad. But one mistake in gymnastics can lead to total disaster. Simone doesn't really need any more hardware. She needs to lead a long and healthy life. She knows the right decision for her. I think people who would push her to compete in spite of her current issue just don't understand how dangerous the sport is.

I kinda felt like making a new thread for this, but it's relevant here. So from what we know at the moment, it seems like Simone was affected mentally by a lot of different things, but I believe a lot is from media pressure and expectations.

Those who follow figure skating may be aware of US national champion Gracie Gold - at one time she was touted as the second coming for US ladies figure skating. Plastered all over media with lots of interviews expecting her to be the new "IT" girl for US skating. She couldn't handle the pressure, in her case did not have really any good personal support structure including any supportive family, dealt with tons of really terrible haters on social media, was REALLY not in a good head space and ended up not only falling off the map in figure skating, but with an eating disorder so bad she almost died.

I have to wonder if there needs to either be some kind of better protection of athletes from the media, not only corporate media but hateful people on social media, and/or a more robust system for athletes to have access to emotional and mental support. Whether therapy, or just people who can be there and listen.

I'm just really tired of seeing amazing athletes getting wrecked by the pressure placed on them by media and others. None of us really knew this was happening with Simone, she was being unduly affected, and now it's an unfortunate and bad outcome both for her and the US team. And IMO it wouldn't happen if we could take better care of our athletes.

 

[Deleted member 26368]

I have to wonder if there needs to either be some kind of better protection of athletes from the media, not only corporate media but hateful people on social media, and/or a more robust system for athletes to have access to emotional and mental support. Whether therapy, or just people who can be there and listen.

And IMO it wouldn't happen if we could take better care of our athletes.

Unfortunately, while things are getting better, the large percentage of people view athletes as 'entertainment objects' and not 'people', with the same struggles and flaws as everyone else. We definitely have a long way to go to adjust that mindset.

Also, you 1978 young'uns can get in line behind me and the other Bicentennial Babies (1976)

 

[Flippin'A]

Gutted for Simone, but I'm so glad she's in a position to advocate for herself and put her health first. And I'm genuinely excited to watch Jade and Suni.

My DD and I woke up at the crack of dawn to watch and it's a good thing we did because my phone decided I needed an Apple News Spotlight first thing in the morning with the US winning second and Simone withdrawing displayed on the lock screen of my personal cell phone. My first thought was-- what if I hadn't seen it yet???? Sadly I think being safe from spoilers is a thing of the past.

 

[Deleted member 26744]

That's really sad. But one mistake in gymnastics can lead to total disaster. Simone doesn't really need any more hardware. She needs to lead a long and healthy life. She knows the right decision for her. I think people who would push her to compete in spite of her current issue just don't understand how dangerous the sport is.

I kinda felt like making a new thread for this, but it's relevant here. So from what we know at the moment, it seems like Simone was affected mentally by a lot of different things, but I believe a lot is from media pressure and expectations.

Those who follow figure skating may be aware of US national champion Gracie Gold - at one time she was touted as the second coming for US ladies figure skating. Plastered all over media with lots of interviews expecting her to be the new "IT" girl for US skating. She couldn't handle the pressure, in her case did not have really any good personal support structure including any supportive family, dealt with tons of really terrible haters on social media, was REALLY not in a good head space and ended up not only falling off the map in figure skating, but with an eating disorder so bad she almost died.

I have to wonder if there needs to either be some kind of better protection of athletes from the media, not only corporate media but hateful people on social media, and/or a more robust system for athletes to have access to emotional and mental support. Whether therapy, or just people who can be there and listen.

I'm just really tired of seeing amazing athletes getting wrecked by the pressure placed on them by media and others. None of us really knew this was happening with Simone, she was being unduly affected, and now it's an unfortunate and bad outcome both for her and the US team. And IMO it wouldn't happen if we could take better care of our athletes.

I don't think there is any way to protect them from social media. This goes for more than just athletes. I will say I saw some headlines I was surprised at like BBC had a headline of "Biles Less Than Perfect." I thought that was in poor taste. How about making Russia winning the headline instead?

When it comes to the pressure and expectations to win, isn't this going to happen to any athlete that was a former champion? Isn't pressure part of competition? Simone is 24. Did she choose to continue in gymnastics?
I don't think any athlete should be criticized for cracking under pressure but I feel like many people seem to think she is a victim of pressure which doesn't seem quite right either.

 

[JBS]

Simone is out of the AA final too.

I guess we get to see Jade rock n roll… actually pretty excited for this.

 

[IreneKa]

I guess we get to see Jade rock n roll… actually pretty excited for this.

Me too! So happy for Jade, she deserves this! I hope she can improve on her beam score from the quals and be a real contender.

 

[PeanutsMom]

"I'm going to focus on my well-being. I am more than just a gymnast."
-Simone Biles

This is the most important takeaway from the entire Olympics imo. Athletes should always prioritize their physical and mental wellbeing over the sport. And if the GOAT can prioritize her health at the most important meet in the world, then every gymnast at every level can and should do the same.

EDIT: And even more importantly, every coach should be supportive of any athlete who makes such a decision.

This is huge! If you have been following my posts this year, you know that my daughter switched gyms due to an increasingly unhealthy emotional environment. As a 12 year old, she had the personal insight to know she needed something different, she needed to be out of that environment. I am really proud of her for choosing her mental health over the sport of gymnastics. We have been super fortunate that a new gym I didn't even know existed opened about 30 miles from us and has given her a new, more laid back place to keep training. Simone, Laurie, Riley, and all of the other, nameless gymnasts who have spoken up against high pressure coaches, abusive gym situations, competing while injured (the list goes on) have paved the way for future generations of gymnasts to have a safer and more supportive sport. I am thankful so many are speaking up and normalizing mental health.

 

[MuggleMom]

I hope the greater focus on mental health and self advocating and being willing to take your business elsewhere will spell the demise of gyms that stick to the old school tatics to the detriment of their athletes. If Simone can say no more than so can everyone else.

 

[Deleted member 26718]

When it comes to the pressure and expectations to win, isn't this going to happen to any athlete that was a former champion? Isn't pressure part of competition? Simone is 24. Did she choose to continue in gymnastics?
I don't think any athlete should be criticized for cracking under pressure but I feel like many people seem to think she is a victim of pressure which doesn't seem quite right either.

I knew this argument would surface. Of course there is inherent and unavoidable pressure from being in a top position in sports. The question is, how much additional and unneeded pressure is being heaped on these athletes by intrusive media that only care about their story, could we rein it in through some sort of new anti-harassment laws, and separately, what can we do to ensure athletes have all of the support they need to cope.

I see people on Twitter taking the position that she has to just "man up" and deal with things herself. I understand that position, but in the end I think it's not only morally wrong but also logically wrong. Even if someone is heartless and doesn't care about her as a person, acting like she's disposable. Where's the next Simone in line to take her place? Oh, there isn't a next Simone in line. There's literally no one at her level. So the U.S. still lost out on gold medals because we didn't take care of our athletes properly.

Anyway, some ideas I had:

- legally barring media from interacting with them except for certain times and days of the week?

- founding an organization dedicated to athlete outreach, which could provide, among other things: access to trained counselors familiar with high-level sports issues, facilitating communication and mutual support between athletes facing similar problems, and maybe connection with fans/volunteers who just want to offer consistent support and encouragement.

- making personal counseling for athletes a standard, regular thing for all athletes beyond a certain level. In this way, removing some of the stigma against counseling. Even something like a scheduled monthly 15 minute session, to open the door to it, and find out which athletes may need more support. Especially after the abuse so many have faced. Many people are too embarrassed to seek out counseling, or may not even realize they need it.

 

[Deleted member 26744]

"So the U.S. still lost out on gold medals because we didn't take care of our athletes properly." According to Sunsia Lee's twitter, they are competing for themselves and are still winners and don't owe anybody a gold medal.

I cringe not only at what they read, but what the girls are tweeting and retweeting. I wish there was no twitter. It's bad enough for young people when they are not famous. I wish their parents and coaches would advise them to stay off social media as much as possible no matter how difficult it is. This would be the healthiest thing for any athlete. I don't even know how they have time for it.

 

[JBS]

Anyway, some ideas I had:

- legally barring media from interacting with them except for certain times and days of the week?

- founding an organization dedicated to athlete outreach, which could provide, among other things: access to trained counselors familiar with high-level sports issues, facilitating communication and mutual support between athletes facing similar problems, and maybe connection with fans/volunteers who just want to offer consistent support and encouragement.

- making personal counseling for athletes a standard, regular thing for all athletes beyond a certain level. In this way, removing some of the stigma against counseling. Even something like a scheduled monthly 15 minute session, to open the door to it, and find out which athletes may need more support. Especially after the abuse so many have faced. Many people are too embarrassed to seek out counseling, or may not even realize they need it.

Great post and concepts going on here. Being a coach of young athletes... I really believe there needs to be ongoing education about social media.

The education on social media needs to start very very young in school and continue for life.

Here are two of the more major issues that hit me right away...

1. Social media affects affects everyone... even people that never use it.
2. It needs ongoing education as the algorithms are changing daily.

Totally agree that super athletes need help dealing with and possible protection from the media and stress. However... I would include a foundation level of social media training for everyone.

 

[PeanutsMom]

I hope the greater focus on mental health and self advocating and being willing to take your business elsewhere will spell the demise of gyms that stick to the old school tatics to the detriment of their athletes. If Simone can say no more than so can everyone else.

The sad thing is that gym who want to compete with the big gyms see this old system working and producing champions, college recruiters, and so they stay the same. Our original gym has really shifted philosophy in the past couple of years. When my DD started going there in 2016 it wasn't the way it is now. Some coaching changes, new coaches, new philosophy coming in changed the way the entire program was run. It is certainly not the same place as when my DD began competing. In that time the gym has girls who are working towards elite and now they (and the next group of potential elites) are the ones getting catered too and if you can't keep up, you may as well get out. There have never been elites before, so now the gym has atmosphere has done a 180.

 

[gym_dad32608]

One thing that hasnt been mentioned much but I think could have been an exacerbating factor is competing in a completely empty arena. I know it might seem counter-intuitive, but when there is a full arena with tons of cheering and fans, there is a kinda anonymity for the competing athletes, you know, getting lost in the crowd the chaos of all the activity. At least from an athlete perception. While an empty arena, very little background noise, tons of camera and boons, etc, it could feel like there is no respite from being watched and isolated. I could see that as a big challenge for someone feeling anxiety and pressure to perform. It might help explain a little why Simone was fine in Rio but struggled here in Tokyo with the pressure.

 

[MuggleMom]

The sad thing is that gym who want to compete with the big gyms see this old system working and producing champions, college recruiters, and so they stay the same.

Yes but you took your business elsewhere and I think that matters! And when their "phenoms" burn out and quit and there are no long haulers left because you took your business elsewhere hopefully they can see the financial repercussions at a win at all costs mentality. Thats probably naive of me but I think instilling in athletes and parents that its ok to say no or its ok to leave an unhealthy environment matters. You will never rid the sporting world in general of that win at all costs mentality that drives abusive practices but maybe we can reign it in a bit and we are seeing more healthy approaches to athletic development see high level success.

 

[JBS]

Not sure if anyone posted this yet... great support from Bieber...

 

[JBS]

 

[JBS]

 

[skschlag]

Simone is out of Vault and bars finals but Myk is in!

 

[JBS]

Simone Biles' ADHD medication is banned in Japan, but a Tokyo 2020 exemption allowed them for athletes

Biles takes ADHD medication that is banned for the disorder in Japan, but an exemption likely allowed her and other athletes to continue their prescribed treatments.

www.insider.com