2020 Event Finals Day 3 MAG PB/HB WAG BB (Tuesday, August 3, 2021)

[shirai]

I can’t find the link anymore, but today the team had an interview with Hoda in which Simone was asked what she thinks the biggest misconceptions around her withdrawal were. She said the misconception was that she was at no safety risk, because she physically couldn’t do the skills as she was getting so lost in the air.

It is true that she has spoken about mental health in the context of her withdrawal, but it’s mostly been when prompted and also to talk about her recent gymnastics experience as a whole. She’s maintained that she withdrew due to the difficulty with twisting. This was a big USAG PR mishap that took on a life of it’s own

 

[Doug1233]

Simone herself is talking about it as a mental health issue;

What’s the quote?

 

[glamafonic]

“After prelims, I wouldn’t say startled or shocked, but there was a sense that everyone was freaking out except for us that the Russians were ahead of us,” Biles said. “We were all like, ‘We are OK.’ Then everybody was like, ‘We have to have this practice, we have to do this and this and this.’

A peek into some of that amazing Forster Leadership.

 

[MaryClare]

Everyone was freaking out. Except the gymnasts. Wow.

 

[gymskatefan]

Who wants to bet that much of the everybody was Tom Forster.

 

[gymskatefan]

Full transcript of the Today interview here:

US women’s gymnasts join Hoda in 1st interview since finishing Olympics: Full interview

Simone Biles, Jordan Chiles, Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey and MyKayla Skinner sat down with Hoda Kotb on TODAY shortly after Biles won the bronze in the individual balance beam final.

www.today.com

 

[gymskatefan]

New NBC primetime ad voiceover by Taylor Swift:





This was sweet. Simone’s been seen at TS concerts since 2014 and has met her, so it’s nice that she’s getting this shout out. Taylor almost never posts anything about an athlete.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I love Taylor Swift, but even she is not going to get me to watch tonight’s prime time coverage.

 

[RedBirdie]

Probably. I was started on it in combination with an antidepressant because I was not in a good spot. I stayed on the low dose adderall even when I weaned off the antidepressant. Back on antidepressant after my husband’s illness this spring, will likely attempt to go off this fall but keep the adderall.

I actually have a very classic ADD presentation in females, but the lack of hyperactivity means I, like so many girls, completely slipped through the cracks. I’m sure the fact that school came pretty easy, and I’m very driven and competitive also masked the struggles I had. I know some people that cannot reasonably function without adderall; I’m very fortunate that is not my case. But it does help me–now I can focus on a task or work project without 20 other things in my mind shouting for attention (which would overwhelm me and I’d end up accomplishing nothing at all).

My dose is so low I actually had a different doctor ask me if it actually did anything.

 

[gymskatefan]

I’m going to watch only because I don’t like how they pulled her ads this week. Curious to see if they’ll be back. Also, I’ve watched all the others, as bad as the coverage has been, so I’m going to support Simone.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

I can respect that.

 

[RedBirdie]

I love Taylor Swift, but even she is not going to get me to watch tonight’s prime time coverage.

My husband is in fully Captain Grumpypants mode tonight and has commandeered the TV to watch baseball. I kinda wanted to see how NBC was going to spin the coverage tonight. I imagine it will be 45 minutes of breathless coverage of Simone, 70 seconds of her routine and maaaaaaaybe Guan Chenchen if we get lucky.

 

[Seyonne]

NBC just finished showing men’s high bar. They showed at least six of the eight men. I’m cautiously optimistic about beam

 

[gymskatefan]

I do actually expect to see all 3 medalists this time. If only because it’s 6 months exactly tomorrow until the opening ceremony of Beijing 2022.

 

[ucrgirl]

100%

 

[QuietColours]

In that case, I wonder if they’ll show Tang flashing the Beijing pin

 

[Denn]

It was as unsafe and impossible for Simone to compete AA/VT/FX/UB as it was for Larissa to compete BB today. It’s not being framed as “unsafe” though. It’s being framed as Simone’s “choice” to “protect her mental well-being”.

FYI, Biles herself is saying it was mental health. She said this in her press conference.

 

[rlayt]

[No message]

 

[Seyonne]

Aw, Suni and Simone look thrilled for Guan.

 

[makam]

So they can show us 2 heats of a track race, tell us a little something about every competitor, show the race, have the after-race analysis, and then get to a commercial, but gymnastics, one routine, commercial, (ETA: add in a sob story they’ve already shown), routine, commercial, repeat another time or two, the end!

(and aww… Jordan crying happily for Simone. so cute!)