Gymnasts' career intentions post-Paris

[AmiK]

From what I gathered, she is basically doing her own thing as opposed to being trained by a coach.

 

[MaryClare]

Simone said on instagram that it’s her first day back in the gym. I’d take from that that she means she’s actually working out, because she was there the other day for Cecile’s send off. I didn’t expect her to be in the gym working out right now

 

[JaJa]

Simone said on instagram that it’s her first day back in the gym. I’d take from that that she means she’s actually working out, because she was there the other day for Cecile’s send off. I didn’t expect her to be in the gym working out right now

She is amazing. I doubt she will compete elite anymore (but I could be wrong) but I also can not imagine Simone just going cold turkey.

 

[RichardL]

Well, she also has to stay in shape for the tour. I don't remember her doing anything particularly difficult last time around, though.

 

[makam]

Yeah, I was thinking she might be aiming to get pregnant as soon as the olympics ended but then I realized she had the tour.

Just saw a social media pic of Simone with her new car and while it isn't a humvee, it looks like the next biggest car on the planet. Does she have pedal extenders and a booster to see over the wheel? (I ask cuz I once drove my old roommate's highlander (or pilot, something very large) and she was a tiny person also and had the seat so close to the wheel, I had to push it back before I could even climb into it and I was shocked that she could even see over the front hood)

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Filipa Martins is bowing out



We really don't talk enough about her achievements. She's been such a fixture for the last dozen years.

 

[Snowfan]

She's been one of my favorites for a long time. I will miss her but I love that I got to see her compete.

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

Just saw a social media pic of Simone with her new car and while it isn't a humvee, it looks like the next biggest car on the planet. Does she have pedal extenders and a booster to see over the wheel?

My main takeaway from the Netflix doc was how she has to have her seat all the way forward so she can reach the pedals in the massive tank she chooses to drive. Her chest is practically squished against the steering wheel.

 

[wishfulgoddess]

I'll never understand why tiny people drive such large vehicles. I'm 5'1". My ex had an F150 and I felt like I had to go-go-gadget my legs to drive his truck.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Meanwhile my 6'4" friend was driving a VW Beetle until a construction dump truck pit maneuvered her on the highway (she's fine; no injuries). Now she drives a giant SUV more befitting her height.

 

[rlayt]

Big vehicle = More hard material wrapped around you = safety

 

[Sasha]

Big vehicle = More hard material wrapped around you = safety

= safety for the vehicle's occupants, but less safety for the people you share the road with, especially pedestrians.

 

[JaJa]

= safety for the vehicle's occupants, but less safety for the people you share the road with, especially pedestrians.

Much less safe for other vehicles as well. I drive a compact car and just plain can not see around these larger vehicles. Makes changing lanes dangerous etc even with all of these blind spot and other safety devices on cars

Also makes it extremely hard to park in parking lots

 

[OnlyBeansOnToast]

Big vehicle = More hard material wrapped around you = safety

At risk of taking this thread to very un-gymnastic places... Cars are, on average, much bigger in the US than the UK, yet in 2022 the US had 12.8 road deaths per 100,000 people while the UK had 2.6.

 

[Hatsumomo]

Much less safe for other vehicles as well. I drive a compact car and just plain can not see around these larger vehicles. Makes changing lanes dangerous etc even with all of these blind spot and other safety devices on cars

Also makes it extremely hard to park in parking lots

Yeah, it's fun to park a small car and come out later to see a Highlander on one side and an F-250 on the other. I have to pull halfway out just to see if anybody is coming.

 

[JaJa]

Yeah, it's fun to park a small car and come out later to see a Highlander on one side and an F-250 on the other. I have to pull halfway out just to see if anybody is coming.

Honestly I am amazed anyone is alive at this point

 

[rlayt]

i guess we are veering off of gymnastics. I drove a tiny car for 20 years between bigger ones before and after. Many times I felt unsafe and couldn’t see around the huge pickups rural people around here drive to haul horse trailers and for other agricultural needs. I’ll take the bigger vehicle. It’s the person driving the car who is a danger not the car. People IMO who want to commit road rage, people who want to commit mayhem by driving through crowds of people, people who text and drive. Drunk drivers, distracted people.

 

[makam]

Big vehicle = More hard material wrapped around you = safety

Being that close to the steering wheel, and thus the airbag, can't be safe. The thing is basically exploding point blank in your torso/face

 

[Hatsumomo]

I don't know why she would opt to do that versus having the car modified. Money is not a barrier and I'm sure Texas has driving instructors that can teach her how to drive with pedal extenders.

 

[Sasha]

It’s the person driving the car who is a danger not the car.

It's the people, but it's also the car, at least when it comes to pedestrian safety. The front end of bigger cars is higher, so when they collide with pedestrians, the pedestrians get hit in the torso rather than the legs, so they're more likely to suffer serious/life-threatening injuries. Plus, due to the higher hood, drivers in large vehicles are less able to see smaller pedestrians - i.e., kids - in their path. And the additional weight means that collisions carry more force.

I get people wanting to be safe behind the wheel, but turning driving into an arms race isn't a scalable solution.