Simone Biles

[Cwtchycoopark]

I had never seen her perform so I am currently down a YouTube rabbit hole and I am awe struck.She is phenomenally, jaw droppingly talented and you can just tell how much she loves it. She is a complete joy to watch. She has shown such courage in prioritising her mental health over what is expected from her.

*hate too not here too

She said she struggled with the postponement so I'd be very surprised if she competed in Paris.

@fallfallfall

i'm probably too old but honestly think this should have been worked out long ago. she should have recognized when to change from the ultra competitive mode and allowed someone else the opportunity. and claiming mh issues/well being seems so attention seeking and immature just like the stupid bow on top of her head past the age of 12. but i'm not sure how much of elite gymnastics is actually grooming and abusive.

So what have you done that gets anywhere close to Simone?

Attention seeking and immature?? The only one who looks like they are attention seeking and immature is yourself

I'm not sure about this. I think she has had bad advice from her team. It was good to see her supporting USA today.
Usain Bolt had the right idea. He knew when to quit.

I’m not sure what some of the detractors wanted. She wasn’t safe to perform. Would they have rather she’d given it a go and broken her neck?

She has been absolutely awe inspiring. She had a difficult childhood, has faced sexual abuse and reached the absolute top of her field. However it ends she has achieved more by the age of 24 than the vast majority will in a life time. I would rather my daughters took inspiration from her than bloody piers Morgan any day of the week.

@DownUnder87

Do you know her backstory too OP? She is one incredible young lady.

No, I don't know anything about her really. Ive heard her name on the news periodically over the last few years but only today have I seen her perform (youtube videos) and was totally blown away. I shall be doing some research.

Former gymnast/coach here…mental blocks (like twisties) can literally come out of nowhere. You can literally do the skill, turn around to do the skill again and your brain just suddenly says no. It’s terrifying to suddenly have no control over your body or lose your total sense of spatial awareness. Some people describe it as almost like having a small stroke - a total disconnect between your brain and your body.

I get the impression that while Simone was definitely feeling the pressure leading up to Tokyo (understandably so…no one should have the weight of their entire organization on their shoulders) that the mental block kicked in on her vault (hence why she balked midair and miraculously managed to land without serious injury). Her training had been going well and she still qualified in first place for the AA, and was the only athlete to qualify for all 4 individual event finals, so I don’t think this is something she was struggling with severely until team finals started.

She absolutely made the right choice, and has very publicly made a statement about the importance of mental health on one of the worlds largest stages. She absolutely deserves her status as the GOAT.

It was so sad to see her like this. The step outside the floor, the vault. She's the most prolific sportswoman, more gold medals than any other. But she was clearly not on form.

And like others have said gymnastics is a very strange sport it's not like a marathon or motor racing or cycling, that goes on for ages and you choose your tactics. you get literally 90 seconds to perform in front of the cameras in front of the world, it's a very strange thing when you really think about it.

I also know that she was that last of that era that was very badly abused by the USA gymnastics system and team.

But this is the bit I can't understand, if she had ever had mental health problems before, hopefully she's had counselling for years and years over all the things that were ever done to her the expectations the limelight etc.

she's been around the gymnastics world for years so what I can't understand is what happened to her in the lead up to these Olympics?

why was her mental health so shocked now?

some people have said it's just because she's a natural winner and that she can't cope with losing, but I think it's more than that.

I'm struggling to understand where she was in her life and why the mental health Hit her so very badly now.

Did make me giggle.
Used to like the Royale Family.

I'm struggling to understand where she was in her life and why the mental health Hit her so very badly now.

She was born to a drug addict, spent time in foster care, was adopted and then sexually abused by a man who supposed be their national sports doctor.

In addition, she had an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders.

I do wonder if her team really leaned into the GOAT theme as a supporting tactic- believe yourself to be it and you will. Possibly there are questions to be asked about that.

A friend of mine, a singer, was badly abused, went onto report it and testify against her abuser in court, had therapy, recovered, went onto be successful and happy in her business as a coach. Really kind, cheerful, upbeat woman. Killed herself about ten years after the court case. Out of the blue. I suppose mental health wounds, like physical ones, can flare up all over again out of nowhere.

I'm well aware of all those facts Downunder. They relate to childhood, awful abuse.

But she had all those issues at the last olympics and all the world championships, where she's won 30 medals.

So there must be a reason why her MH is bad now, of all times.

@Oblomov21

Did make me giggle. Used to like the Royale Family.

Forward roll. My Arse.

I think the thing with past trauma is whilst you can have all the counselling and support in the world and think that you are ok and managing well, sometimes it just consumes you, totally out of the blue, years later.

@MmeTDefarge

A friend of mine, a singer, was badly abused, went onto report it and testify against her abuser in court, had therapy, recovered, went onto be successful and happy in her business as a coach. Really kind, cheerful, upbeat woman. Killed herself about ten years after the court case. Out of the blue. I suppose mental health wounds, like physical ones, can flare up all over again out of nowhere.

I'm so sorry

She's amazing. I was really looking forward to watching her perform but she 100% made the right decision to stop and a very brave one at that. Her team mates did wonderfully too.

Don't know why some are shocked how ike Piers is, im not even that surprised. Here he is being vile about another black woman, undermining their achievements and diminishing them. Racist vile man.

She was under an incredible amount of pressure though. Vera Cavlaska is the only woman to repeat AA Olympic titles (in what, 68 and 64). She wasn't only just there to repeat AA titles, she was there to win the team finals too. There were reports suggesting she'd win 6 individual medals.

The planned GOAT tour, the media, and she's seeing it all on Twitter and Instagram...

Piers Morgan needs to be publicly shamed by journalists.

That's twice now he's publicly insulted woman with mental health problems and basically told them to get over it.

Ironic from the man who had a public temper tantrum and stormed off set because someone pulled him up for his behaviour.

I actually shed a tear looking at Simones face earlier whilst she cheered on her teammates. She was so supportive and encouragement but the light has just left her eyes. She looked so lost

@DownUnder87

I'm struggling to understand where she was in her life and why the mental health Hit her so very badly now.

She was born to a drug addict, spent time in foster care, was adopted and then sexually abused by a man who supposed be their national sports doctor.

In addition, she had an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders.

She has made the most of her life and then some. I think she needs support to scale down and think about what she will do in the future.

She is absolutely amazing and did totally the right thing.

Piers Morgan has made himself look like a right wally with that Daily Mail article - he clearly has no idea what he is talking about and since they have been talking about 'the twisties' and how dangerous it can be, he just looks like a complete arse.

Simone Biles quit because she was worried that she wasn't in the right head space to be doing twists and tumbles several metres in the air, might land on her head and die.

Piers Morgan quit because his weather man was making him look a right bellend.

She is 24 which is old for a gymnast I believe

Not any more. Average age at the olympics is mid-20’s, chuso has just competed in her last olympics age 46. The whole concept of gymnasts needing to be young/finished at 20 arises from the abusive coaching methods that demanded so much from children that their bodies or minds were usually broken by 18. Kerri strug retired after that olympic performance because competing on that ankle damaged it too badly.

As for the twisties- there is a theory that it is related to the inner ear. Particularly as you grow, the complex structures mature slower. So your eyes and body are telling you one thing about the rate you spin, how high you are, and whether you are upside down- and your ears which manage spatial awareness are telling you something different. So your brain just refuses. Not the only thing of course, but an interesting theory.

I have read that she has struggled not having her family with her. There is still a shocking lack of understanding about what childhood trauma can do to someone. She has achieved beyond belief given the issues she has faced. This will be more than just the pressure she’s facing. She has experienced deep trauma and looks unwell now. The media need to be extremely careful about how she is handled. She may be a superstar but she is vulnerable.

I wish she'd competed from a selfish view of her being one of the parts of the Olympics I was really looking forward to watching - but I'm glad that she had the strength to say "no, not today" and walk away.