Questions about Simone Biles’ state, her most recent decisions and mental health are taking over social media. They are all centered around one main uncertainty: Why did Biles withdraw from almost all of her gymnastics finals in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games?
Simone Biles, a 24 year-old six-time Olympic Medalist chose not to participate in five of her six finals at the Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Japan, explaining that she needed to “focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being””. As she explained in multiple press conferences, Biles prioritized focusing on her mental health and balancing her stress levels (unsurprisingly high as a result of the overwhelming amount of pressure she faces during competition). Her teammates’ support has helped her persevere through these tough times.
She has explained that she has been suffering from the ‘twisties’, a common gymnastics term to refer to the feeling of losing one’s sense of dimension in midair, regardless of how many times a stunt has been practiced. This phenomenon has caused Biles to “literally […] not be able to tell up from down”.
The American gymnast has also admitted that many of her mental health issues are due to the impact of the abuse she suffered from the former Team U.S.A. doctor, Larry Nassar. In a New York Magazine interview, Biles explained: “Everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years – it was too much.” Despite this, Biles reinforced the idea that she was willing to fight and push through in order to prevent a sexual offender from ruining her career, something she has “[worked] for since [she] was six years old”.
On the whole, Biles has raised worldwide attention because of her decisions and millions of fans have expressed their love and support through various social media platforms. Even though she has received criticism as well through various Tweets, she has responded to them humbly but firmly:
“I’m proud of myself and the career I’ve had thus far. These Olympics don’t erase the past accomplishments I’ve achieved nor do they define who I am as an athlete. I’ve pushed through so so much the past couple years, the word quitter is not in my vocabulary.”
As she very well stated, rest is necessary for every human being; in fact, it is a very important aspect of the training process. It is generally agreed upon that she remains the greatest gymnast in the history of competitive gymnastics; being the record-holder of the most world championship medals ever, as well as one of the greatest athletes of all time. We are used to seeing the champion act superhuman and show incredible amounts of strength, both physical and mental; courage, in performing phenomenal and highly challenging stunts and endurance, persevering through very tense periods of times during competition. When Biles showed the public that she, like everyone else, is human, many people were surprised and unsettled. Some were definitely more accepting than others.
Everybody experiences ups and downs throughout their career, it is both a normal and inevitable part of life. Thus, it is important not to look down on others if they decide they need a break every once in a while, even more so when they are the world champions in their field.
Bibliography:
Ramsay, George, et al. “’I Have to Focus on My Mental Health,’ Says Simone Biles after Withdrawing from Gold Medal Event.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 July 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/sport/simone-biles-tokyo-2020-olympics/index.html.
“Simone Biles: ‘I Should Have Quit Way before Tokyo 2020’.” The Independent, Independent Digital News and Media, 28 Sept. 2021, https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/simone-biles-tokyo-2020-olympics-quit-b1928277.html.
“What Are the ‘Twisties?’ Simone Biles Explains Gymnastics Struggle at Tokyo Olympics.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 30 July 2021, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/olympics/what-are-twisties-simone-biles-explains-gymnastics-struggle-tokyo-olympics-n1275460. Sykes, Mike D., and Ii. “Simone Biles Has a Message for Her Haters: ‘I Can’t Hear You over My 7 Olympic Medals’.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 Sept. 2021, https://ftw.usatoday.com/2021/09/simone-biles-olympic-games-gold-medals-instagram.