Simone Biles Controversy

The Tokyo Olympics is something that many people have been waiting for since its cancellation last year. The most famous Olympian there is Simone Biles. She won five Olympic medals at the Rio Olympics in 2016. Since she performed so well, the public had high expectations for this years Olympic games. All of this pressure made her train harder and eventually ended up wearing herself out.

Everyone who pays attention to the media knows that Simone Biles is one of the best gymnasts ever. Biles has a combined total of 31 Olympic and World Championship medals and is the most decorated American gymnast and most dominant gymnast of all time. The judges have trouble scoring her since she is so advanced in her skill. Some people believe that Simone Biles shouldn’t be able to compete at the Olympics since she is so advanced. She even has a skill named after her which consists of a triple twist.

During the Olympic team trials, Biles fell off the high beam during her routine. Luckily, due to her skill set, she was able to still make the team. During her vault at the actual Olympic games, she didn’t complete the pass that she was actually supposed to and that could have caused a serious injury. I believe Biles probably overworked herself and got too worked up in her head and that caused these events to happen. As a competitive dancer myself, I know what it’s like to feel overworked and psych yourself out. She decided to drop out of the all-around individual gymnastics competition for the rest of  Olympics 2020.  This decision was so that she could focus on her physical health as well as her mental health.

I believe that athletes have to take time to focus on their physical health especially when they’re injured. I get injuries sometimes as a dancer and my most recent one (pulled hamstring) could have really taken me out of the competitive dance world for a while if I didn’t properly rest and treat it. When you are at the top of your sport, you want to continue improving and not risk a career-threatening injury. Simone Biles, taking the time to focus on herself after training for the Tokyo Olympics for five years is an important decision because as an athlete, you can easily get burnt out. Sports like gymnastics take a big toll on one’s body due to all of the hours that go into training.

Some people have made negative comments about Biles’s decision to withdraw herself from the Olympics. Athletes MUST take care of their health if they want to have a lengthy career. It’s just like taking care of your health if you want to live a long life. Being in the public eye can cause a lot of self-image issues so Biles decided to take time off to reflect on everything that has been going wrong with her performance in the Olympics this year. If you are not an athlete, you wouldn’t understand the mental toll it can take being constantly pressured to be your best.

Simone Biles has been competing in gymnastics professionally for a while now and I think this break is something that she really needs and it’ll benefit her. I sometimes feel as though I need a break from dancing as it sometimes gets a bit stressful. Hopefully, she comes back better than ever in the next competition.

Source: Piers Morgan savaged over ‘disgusting’ Simone Biles comments