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.

Rebeca Andrade seemed to revel in the moment, and the three of them are clearly close. I didn't read any more into or other then the great respect and warmth that the others felt for her.

In that photo she looks like a joyful goddess. I think it's wonderful.

I don't think they're close, as I don't think Andrade and Biles speak any languages in common do they? But the respect is clear.

I think it was a lovely moment. Had Simone and Jordan not bowed the news articles would have focused on the fact that Simone came second.

I think it is their moment and their choice.

So long as they don't do anything obviously offensive it is up to them how they celebrate and how they choose to celebrate the winner, if at all.

It's common in a lot of sports to pay respect to someone who you believe has excelled. For example guard of honour in football.

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

That isn't what they were doing. You apparently just can't comprehend that a nice gesture can just be, you know, a nice gesture.

It was literally that...they were literally bowing to show how good they thought she was! 🤦‍♀️

Except that the bronze medal has now been awarded to the Romanian competitor, who was unfairly disqualified after ‘ pressure’ from the US team management.

Not in this event. That was a different event.

Again, they didn't know that at the time and it has absolutely nothing to do with Chiles herself. All those women got up there and did their best.

I thought it was lovely.

You feel sorry for the winner? Look at her, she’s thriving.

This is lovely. Gorge pic, gorge memories for all involved, especially the lovely lady who won.

Nope, that was a totally different event!

You’re bothered about this non issue rather than being outraged that they’ve allowed XY men to compete as women?

No it was this event wasn't it, the floor.

The gymnasts didn't know that though, the row over the deductions doesn't need to overshadow the generosity of the gesture - it was Chiles herself who suggested it.

YABVVU OP.
These athletes all know each other - they spend most of their time at the same competitions. Also nobody's drawing attention away from the gold medal winner quite the opposite they're literally pointing/bowing towards her.

Look at Rebecca's face she's revelling in the moment!

It's a fun gesture, among competitors who are not only friends but also share unique challenges as Black women, there's a history of racism in gymnastics.

find something real to actually be offended by.

They are literally drawing everyone's attention to the gold medallist - the exact opposite of what you think they are doing.

Do you also think anyone who bows to a monarch is also "making a spectacle of themselves"?

She didn’t. The judges accepted the correction to Chiles’s score, it is just now being debated as to whether the timing of the submission was correct or not, not the score change

Thankfully they are close enough to understand that Biles and Chiles were just being supportive of Andrade, who is just phenomenal. It appears to be a sisterhood and I love it.

This ridiculous furore reminds me of the 2019 Miss World finals when people were up in arms about another contestant trying to overshadow the winner.

Some people are secure enough in themselves and their abilities to appreciate others being very excited for them. And we never know what impact one contestant has had on another off screen.

If you know Rebeca’s history you’ll know how much she’s been through to get to this point. Grew up in poverty, training in gyms that were vastly underfunded, and had three ACL tears that could have ended her career. Coming back from the injuries and attaining the level she has is incredible - she’s rightly regarded as on of the greats of the sport. The other gymnasts have huge respect for her. There are skills that she does, like her Cheng vault, better than anyone has ever done. She’s always incredibly generous in her praise of the other athletes (Jordan mentioned that was one of the reasons they wanted to acknowledge her) and is pretty much universally beloved in the sport.

What nonsense. They are supporting her and it is quite clear from the video that all three of them were admiring each other

Some people really just want to see bad in everything these days

@somenonsense yep, username checks out.

Great picture and a great moment. YABU

Andrade had overcome considerable adversity in her gymnastics career to reach that position. I think they were acknowledging that.

That's not correct. Barbosu, the Romanian, was 3rd on the floor.

Sorry my mistake. I completely misremembered. I've looked it up since.

Very poor form to give Jordan Chiles the medal and then take it back. If the U S A were outside the time allowed to enquire, they should have been rejected there and then.