Simone Biles Withdrawing From the Team Final Sets a Powerful Example For Gymnasts Everywhere
Gymnasts learn how to “bail” out of their skills when they’re in danger of injuring themselves — or sometimes they do so out of fear. But who’s going to bail them out when they need a mental break from a sport with a longstanding culture of abuse and an impossible standard of perfection?
On July 27, Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s artistic gymnastics Olympic team final after competing a watered-down version of her planned Amanar vault. Though USA Gymnastics initially cited her exit as being caused by a medical issue, Biles later revealed it was due to her mental health. She said she wasn’t in the right place mentally to compete and wanted to avoid injury.
It’s hard to fathom the pressure that Biles puts on herself. This burden is only compounded by the mounting pressure from the rest of the world. Fellow 2016 Olympian Laurie Hernandez made a valid point when she stated that Biles should not be expected to carry the weight of the team. Yes, we praise her for being one of the sport’s greatest, but, as Hernandez said on the Today show, “At the end of the day, having to put that much pressure on her to carry the team to gold . . . it’s not fair. This is a team of four, not a team of one.” Biles undoubtedly delivers high scores with skills that no other gymnasts execute in competition, but Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Grace McCallum were chosen to represent the United States for a reason. They all have their strengths, and they fought until the end for their well-deserved silver medal.
Not only is Biles the face of gymnastics right now — as she has been for years — but she’s also the face of the Tokyo Games after a trying pandemic that is not yet eradicated. “Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn’t an easy feat,” she told the Today show’s Hoda Kotb. Even before she qualified for the Olympics, her name was associated with the 2021 Games, and she booked her own post-competition Gold Over America Tour with ticket sales starting for exclusive members as early as February. That’s four months prior to the Olympic Trials.