Olympics - AIBU or does anyone else have a problem with this kind of thing?

[somenonsense]

Thinking about the American gymnasts bowing down on the podium. It was written about as being so sportsmanlike and women supporting women etc.

Does anyone else think it's kind of uncool to make a spectacle of yourself and draw attention away from the gold medalist?

I feel like the articles and commentary ended up focusing on how heartwarming the bowing from the silver and bronze gymnasts was rather than letting the gold medalist have her moment?

Just curious if it didn't sit well with anyone else.

I'm sure it was well intentioned etc, I just felt a bit sorry for the winner.

The gold medalist didn't look at all bothered by it. The gymnasts in particular seen very supportive of each other.

That result in particular was important as it was the first time in the Olympic gymnastics where all three medals were won by black women so they were celebrating that as much as their individual medals

I didn't think any of that. YABU @somenonsense.

If anything they were raising up the fact that the Brazilian had beaten them (and as a team they were superior). They are all friends on the circuit so I suspect the winner was flattered. After all Simone Biles was one of the ones basically raising her up

I don't see how they took away from the gold medal winner. They were pointing how good they thought she was.

I don’t see what you are seeing at all in this example.

I think it depends really.

In gymnastics, they all seem to congratulate each other and hug the other competitors after their routines (unless there's a dispute, of course). Maybe those gymnasts had particularly bonded and were just sharing a moment? It seems in the spirit of sportsmanship here, but given a different dynamic, it could be seen as upstaging.

It was a fantastic display of supportive sisterhood. YABU.

Except that the white Romanian gymnast was reinstated as the bronze medalist after. As she should have been- she got the medal fair and square

That thought crossed my mind, however I read it was because previously athletes would have given another athlete his or her bouquet of flowers, but they didn't have flowers for medal winners at this Olympics.

I don’t like the “bowing down” aspect of it. Looks too much like worship to me. 😣

I did think it looked a bit patronising.
She was fantastic though, but so was Biles, is it something normally done?

I agree that she did and was surprised at the initial result, personally, but they didn't know that was going to happen at that point!

The bowing down made the photo go viral and increased the profile of Rebeca. She will be delighted to have beaten Biles and her country will be extra proud for that extraordinary achievement.

Also, the Romanian 3rd place was in beam, not floor. This picture was from floor, still all black medal winners.

Simone is showing respect to this particular gymnast, Rebecca Andrade. Simone and Rebecca are the two best gymnasts in the world and Biles has spoken about how Andrade is the one competitor who pushes her to do better as she knows she can beat her. Andrade probably doesn't get the publicity she deserves because Biles is always in the limelight. Remember also Simone Biles was also heavy favourite to win this event, but Andrade managed to beat her. So this is Simone Biles showing that she really respects Andrade and acknowledging she deserves to be the centre of attention. It's actually a really nice moment.

Rebeca was amazing and thoroughly deserved to win.

Simone hurled herself around in complicated moves with little or no regard to whether she stayed within the boundary and gained penalties IMO. Not my kind of gymnastics (not thst I can do ANY form of gymnastics myself )

It was floor.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/jordan-chiles-bronze-medal-olympics-gymnastics-appeal-b2594954.html

Can't remember whether Chiles competed in the beam, but Biles didn't get a medal at all for that, she came 5th.

It is, that's the whole point! They are bowing down in awe at how good she was!

So many more things in the Olympics that bother me than this 🫤

I’d save your criticism for men in the wrong boxing category

I saw it as being a bit of fun, that was done between friends. I very much doubt most of the meanings being attributed to it went through their heads really.

But I do get what the OP means. The papers spoke far more about how lovely it was that they'd bowed than well done the winner. Thinking about it, as well, as someone who wasn't particularly following the gymnastics, I couldn't have offhand even told you the country of the winner, let alone her name.

But I don't think that was intentional at all.

I don't see how that took away from Rebecca's win at all. Quite the opposite.

You know what, I thought the same. It felt like they were making it all about them.

That’s why I find it doesn’t sit well with me! I don’t give worship to anyone or anything but God. 🙌🏻

Andrade looked very touched and immediately reached out her hands to Biles and Chiles. She had just beaten one of the all-time greats in her sport fair and square, and then that great bowed before her in acknowledgement. What an honour.

I thought it was a lovely moment, and that all three women did themselves proud.