Simone Biles Quitting

[Mark TKO]

What's the take from our US (and international) members re Simone Biles quitting the team event yesterday.

I don't do gymnastics at all and could only name 4 gymnasts in history - Nellie Kim, Nadia Comeci (or whatever its pronounced), a British lass called Beth and of course Simone Biles.

I do remember seeing Simone Biles on tv a few years back and thought she was cocky but I don't mind that as when people are backing it up with results - which she obviously was - then fair enough you have every right to be. She's been dominant for a few years right ?

I also don't know the full ins and outs of yesterday but my take is she quit as things were not going her way and head not in right place. My take on that is isn't part of being a top athlete / sportsman having the mental strength to ride it out and overcome it ? Others keep going who will never get near the podium. I had a go at our own Paula Radcliffe way back when she quit a couple of races at olympics (2008?) that she couldn't win as was struggling - finish the race ffs was my general argument.

I have no idea if her quitting affected where the USA team came but hear she intends to take part in the individual event. If she gets gold in that I suspect her team mates might have a view on that - a view they may never express openly.

I'm sure we've all been hammered and annihilated in sporting events we've taken part in, at very low local levels of course, but I don't know.... quitting when you're used to winning is bullshit in my book. There may be another factor I am not aware of but just my view.

I saw Piers Morgan earlier saying he'll be writing an article on it later today for the Daily Mail - no doubt he'll be vilified for it when it comes out.

[Beanz]

What's the take from our US (and international) members re Simone Biles quitting the team event yesterday.

I don't do gymnastics at all and could only name 4 gymnasts in history - Nellie Kim, Nadia Comeci (or whatever its pronounced), a British lass called Beth and of course Simone Biles.

I do remember seeing Simone Biles on tv a few years back and thought she was cocky but I don't mind that as when people are backing it up with results - which she obviously was - then fair enough you have every right to be. She's been dominant for a few years right ?

I also don't know the full ins and outs of yesterday but my take is she quit as things were not going her way and head not in right place. My take on that is isn't part of being a top athlete / sportsman having the mental strength to ride it out and overcome it ? Others keep going who will never get near the podium. I had a go at our own Paula Radcliffe way back when she quit a couple of races at olympics (2008?) that she couldn't win as was struggling - finish the race ffs was my general argument.

I have no idea if her quitting affected where the USA team came but hear she intends to take part in the individual event. If she gets gold in that I suspect her team mates might have a view on that - a view they may never express openly.

I'm sure we've all been hammered and annihilated in sporting events we've taken part in, at very low local levels of course, but I don't know.... quitting when you're used to winning is bullshit in my book. There may be another factor I am aware of but just my view.

I saw Piers Morgan earlier saying he'll be writing an article on it later today for the Daily Mail - no doubt he'll be vilified for it when it comes out.

However trite this meme may seem it has a point.

Morgan should be vilified. WTF has he ever done? Hacked the phones of murdered kids? Walked out of a TV studio because he could not handle someone offering a different opinion?

It is nuts how people like him and Johnson, Patel etc are all tolerated by so many in this country as though it is OK to behave like utter cunts.

[Mark TKO]

If that meme is true then I take it into consideration.

He's a social commentator he won't be going anywhere soon.

I do wonder if she will actually now take part in the individual event.

[X]

My initial unguarded thought is sort of with MarkTKO.

Elite sport is about handling pressure. Look at the greats in any sport, and at least part of their greatness lies in their fortitude under pressure, and how they handle the really big moments. Muhammad Ali dealt with unbelievable pressure inside and especially outside the ring, Roger Federer never quit when things weren’t going his way (at least not yet). Cathy Freeman won her Olympic gold under extreme external pressure - carrying her team, being the face of the games, the race angle. The list goes on. My first reaction is ‘pfft, another millennial wimp who folds and moans about it to everyone. Fucking toughen up”. What about her teammates? What about the athletes who had to suddenly get prepared, psych up and perform at really really short notice to replace her?

But then, after a pause, I realise I have no idea about what’s going on in her head. I have no idea of the pressure she is specifically under in this particular situation. The greats I mention earlier didn’t have social media and the internet to contend with. I have no idea of what has happened in her personal or professional life. No clue whatsoever.

So like most things, I realise I’m better off shutting up and not parading my half formed and I’ll informed opinions on the internet - which is possibly one of the things that drover her over the edge?

Im conflicted!

[Mark TKO]

Don't be afraid to speak up. That's what's going wrong with the world.

Then again I keep quiet at work now rather than say things a couple of years ago I wouldn't even pause without coming out with it. You never know where it might lead.

I'll go silent now till the individual medals events....

[Memphis]

It's funny isn't it. How many times have we heard the cliche "it's X percent physical, Y percent mental". We'll accept a physical breakdown but we wont accept a mental one. The bottom line is we think of this with a narrow mind because we generally have very little understanding. We assume that any mental health issues she is having are solely related to her performance or lack there of on the mat or vault etc. That! She should as an elite athlete be able to cope with or push through. I think that's fair to say. But who knows whats going on in her head or outside of gymnastics?

Broken bone, no problem. Broken mind, unacceptable. It's wrong isn't it.

She could come back for individual events which will of course fuel the quitter fire. Again we accept that a broken bone is six weeks in a cast or whatever it is these days. We don't or wont accept that her mind could be fine tomorrow.

Piers Morgan quit when a weatherman gave him a bit of stick.

[Mark TKO]

I'm waiting for someone to suggest a bloke wouldn't have quit and would've kept going regardless.

Hello?

[Master]

I think she did the right and strong thing to do.

If we had more people being open and honest about their mental state then we would have less (sports) people ending up mentally ill, gambling, drug addicts, homeless, broke and dead.