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Original poster

Why so little coverage of the women’s gymnastics team getting bronze

94 replies

Carycy · 27/07/2021 15:10

Just been watching the Olympics coverage of the women’s team gymnastics. I only saw one quick vault of a Brit, none of the routines. Everything was about the USA, the Russians and the Italians. Then I find out that Britain get bronze!!! What. Still hardly anything said. WTF?!?! This is a big thing. Still not in the headlines. More coverage of an American competitor dropping out. What is going on?

OP posts:

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 28/07/2021 09:14

I feel so disappointed in the Simone Biles story.

It's not clear cut, it's true that the Olympics were supposed to be last year, and a year is a long time. Your plans change, your life moves on in a different direction. It's hard to stay focused and you feel stuck in something you don't want anymore.

On the other hand you have the team you let down by withdrawing. You throw away a place in a team that's highly contested and there is someone else who must have wanted that place badly, but didn't get in.

Now, I loathe the Olympics. I think they dated, bleated and environmentally inappropriate, but by taking part you also represent not only yourself but your country and your Federation. You let them down.

I'm sure Simone Biles must have had very strong reasons for doing what she did, and she's done so much until now, but it still feels very selfish on her part.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 09:28

Well, she LOOKED as though she did a massive flounce after the vault went badly. Of course there's more to it than that, but I would be more sympathetic if she'd done it in the individual sessions rather than the team.

igelkott2021 · 28/07/2021 09:31

Ah that word selfish again. On the one hand I think she should have not gone to the Olympics if she is fragile and agree she took a space away from someone else, but on the other hand, if she's not 100% fit both mentally and physically she could break her neck.

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General sports

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 28/07/2021 09:31

Something like this usually brews for some time. Maybe she should have had better support prior to the Games. Who knows.

Fizbosshoes · 28/07/2021 09:36

Imagine the pressure though, shes been talked up (and for good reason because her talent is huge) not only by the US but is known worldwide. She probably felt she had no choice but to turn up and deliver...until she couldnt...and if it's a MH issue she couldnt exactly choose which would be the moment that she felt like she cant do it any more.

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 28/07/2021 09:42

She was probably under pressure to perform. She did say it wasn't fun anymore. And she's right to not want to do it anymore.

It's just the timing that's very unfortunate.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 09:45

@Fizbosshoes

I totally agree. I believe she doesn't have her family with her either

4PawsGood · 28/07/2021 09:48

It got good coverage in the highlights show that was on around 7pm. We were watching it (having had the result ruined by this thread ).

Papergirl1968 · 28/07/2021 10:43

This GOAT thing makes me uncomfortable. Fine for other people to call you the GOAT, but to have a goat emblem on your leotard seems a bit...egotistical. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the American way.
I was also uncomfortable to see Simone dancing about and messing about it with her teammate during the medal presentation. Again, I don’t know. It could have been bravado when she really felt like crying. But it just seemed a bit disrespectful.
I’ve had mental health problems - depression, stress, anxiety, so to an extent i get it. I’ll probably get flamed for this but I’m not sure if she pulled out of the team competition because she was in a strop due to being off form. And has pulled out of the all around because she doesn’t want to lose.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 10:48

What does GOAT mean?

ElizabethTudor · 28/07/2021 10:55

@Papergirl1968 - I think we can safely say she hasn’t pulled out because ‘she was in a strop or because she doesn’t want to lose.’

mynameiscalypso · 28/07/2021 10:55

@Bryonyshcmyony

What does GOAT mean?

Greatest of all time

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 10:56

Wow!

Nowwjre to go from there!

MidMorningLatte · 28/07/2021 11:01

Greatest of all Time.

That vault was downright dangerous, not ‘off’. If you look at it again, she opens up and twists far too quickly, moves her head to try and see where she is and also gets her hands ready for crashing.

That wasn’t an off moment.

I was surprised that she stayed on the floor but she is always incredibly supportive- first over to congratulate ROC, cheering on her teammates stepping up. Possibly she would have got more criticism for leaving clmpletely.

DaisyDreaming · 28/07/2021 11:29

Discovery was no better, they clearly weren’t being provided with the feed but it was annoying the commentators didn’t keep us updated

Papergirl1968 · 28/07/2021 11:31

I meant Simone was off form in qualifying too.
Her beam score in the team final wasn’t awful. Low for her but not so low as to justify quitting. I do think they’d have had a better chance of winning gold if she’d carried on. But maybe they wouldn’t have got silver - we’ll just never know.

DaisyDreaming · 28/07/2021 11:32

I saw a post and response saying that phelps had the same pressure but he still performed. The response pointed out if he has a bad day he would of swum slower, if a gymnast had a bad day they can end up seriously injured

DaisyDreaming · 28/07/2021 11:36

@ChardonnaysPetDragon I wonder if she’s able to accept support from coaches after growing up with abusive ones. When you see the 2012 gymnastics team it’s hard to believe they managed to go out there and win despite being sexually assaulted that day (and many days) and that’s not the only abuse they suffered.

C130 · 28/07/2021 11:37

@Papergirl1968

This GOAT thing makes me uncomfortable. Fine for other people to call you the GOAT, but to have a goat emblem on your leotard seems a bit...egotistical. I don’t know, maybe it’s just the American way. I was also uncomfortable to see Simone dancing about and messing about it with her teammate during the medal presentation. Again, I don’t know. It could have been bravado when she really felt like crying. But it just seemed a bit disrespectful. I’ve had mental health problems - depression, stress, anxiety, so to an extent i get it. I’ll probably get flamed for this but I’m not sure if she pulled out of the team competition because she was in a strop due to being off form. And has pulled out of the all around because she doesn’t want to lose.

Simone has explained why the goat rhinestones. Maybe read up on it, so that your comment is coming from a place of fact. She has explained why she has pulled out. Why can that not be enough for some people?

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 28/07/2021 11:42

There’s that. But she’s managed until now and I’m sure she has access to help outside the coaches.,

And there are the difficulties to stay on top form with the Olympics being postponed.

Sad really.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 11:47

I do think she should have carried on in th team competition. Fair enough pull out of the individual if you have to

korawick12345 · 28/07/2021 11:48

@Bryonyshcmyony

I do think she should have carried on in th team competition. Fair enough pull out of the individual if you have to

And risk a possibly life changing injury? Thank goodness her team have greater compassion and understanding than you

ChardonnaysPetDragon · 28/07/2021 11:49

Not sure that would have been better for the team had she stayed.

Bryonyshcmyony · 28/07/2021 11:50

Couldn't she just have done easier movements? I'm sure thst would have been suggested

Oh well it's done now. I don't imagine she'll return.

C130 · 28/07/2021 11:52

Simone has coaches, and who knows what else in her camp. They will be doing what is for the best. They know more than we will, as nothing more than onlookers.

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