Simone is out of the AA, VT, UB and FX

[gymskatefan]

The part I find most upsetting about this whole disaster scenario though is the fact they’re still billing it as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics everywhere and in the record books. So people will forget that it’s actually 2021, with 2021 eligible athletes winning everything over the ones who were peaked for 2020, from gymnastics to swimming and every other sport. Now the casuals will think in 20 years that Simone was only on top for 4 years and suddenly Suni was the champion all along.

I hate the narrative set by NBC and the mainstream media that it was all Simone’s fault that USA finished 2nd in qualifications, totally ignoring the fact that on one of her worst days in 8 years, she still beat everyone else who competed lights out. But for not being able to hang on for another 4 days, she’ll always be the 2020 Olympic champion to me. It’s totally different from another surprise winner.

An extra year was a lot especially with all the extra variables.

Simone also said in one of the post-team finals interviews that she watched Naomi Osaka’s Netflix documentary in the last few days. While it may be inspirational, and of course she’s an adult and no one can censor what she watches, she needed to be doing anything but dwelling on self-doubt the last week.

I haven’t been so disappointed in and hated an Olympic all-around result this much since Andreea Raducan.

 

[JaJa]

The part I find most upsetting about this whole disaster scenario though is the fact they’re still billing it as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics everywhere and in the record books. So people will forget that it’s actually 2021, with 2021 eligible athletes winning everything over the ones who were peaked for 2020, from gymnastics to swimming and every other sport. Now the casuals will think in 20 years that Simone was only on top for 4 years and suddenly Suni was the champion all along.

I hate the narrative set by NBC and the mainstream media that it was all Simone’s fault that USA finished 2nd in qualifications, totally ignoring the fact that on one of her worst days in 8 years, she still beat everyone else who competed lights out. But for not being able to hang on for another 4 days, she’ll always be the 2020 Olympic champion to me. It’s totally different from another surprise winner.

An extra year was a lot especially with all the extra variables.

Simone also said in one of the post-team finals interviews that she watched Naomi Osaka’s Netflix documentary in the last few days. While it may be inspirational, and of course she’s an adult and no one can censor what she watches, she needed to be doing anything but dwelling on self-doubt the last week.

I haven’t been so disappointed in and hated an Olympic all-around result this much since Andreea Raducan.

All of this.

Plus, I could be wrong about this but I hate the way its being cast as a “mental health” issue. As if Simone was just dealing with depression or nerves. I wish they had never introduced that phrase. Or framed it as so many people are as “you have to be on top of your game mentally or gymnastics is not safe.” Simone competed plenty of times when she was not completely “on top of her game.” But the twisties are a whole other ball game. You can not do your skills. I wish they had just focused on that.

 

[MaryClare]

This is why I asked earlier if it really was a mental health issue, or a sports psychology one?

 

[gymskatefan]

I hate the fact that they keep comparing it to Naomi Osaka, even though Simone was the first one who said she was inspired by her. That’s not the right tone to take. Even though Naomi’s struggles are her own, being depressed and unable to answer interviews or pulling out because she didn’t feel ready for the pressure is totally different from “I could break my neck and die”. It keeps this cycle of “mental toughness” being part of the narrative which I totally hate.

Aimee articulated it well when she said there are degrees of mental health issues, and sometimes it’s not helpful to just lump everything together as mental health and “I’m just taking a day off because I don’t feel like it”. If you compare it to a physical injury, she said it’s like if you consider whether you have a case of the sniffles or you have a life-threatening illness. If it was the latter, everyone would totally understand, without question, why you can’t continue. I hate the fact that people just don’t seem to grasp that part.

 

[JaJa]

Right. I agree.

 

[JaJa]

Aimee articulated it well when she said there are degrees of mental health issues

Again, I think casting it in the realm of “mental health” is a problem because first, it sends the wrong message – like Simone has serious psychiatric issues which she does not I don;t think. Twisties are a phenomenon which many if not all gymnasts have dealt with at one time or another. Its like normal in the sport. Its not a psychiatric thing.

 

[flyaway]

Yep. I think most people mad at Simone think she had the “sniffles” and decided to stay in bed (to continue the analogy).

 

[rue_des_plantes]

Best Silver Medal Ever. That’s very Khorkina 2004

lmao (10 char w/e just wanted this to get bumped)

 

[KathySantoni]

He’s very tall and handsome.

 

[Big_rock_show]

You hear a lot about repetition and “muscle memory” in gymnastics. The Twisties could be described as “muscle amnesia”. Suddenly it’s not second nature anymore.

 

[irichluck21]

He says they were trying to ‘follow the official rules for replacing an athlete after the competition started.’ I desperately hope he refers to putting Jordan on UB/BB and Suni on floor, because the alternative is unthinkable.

I think he stated this specifically so that it was made clear that they followed the rules for replacing an athlete after competition started to mean that Carey and Skinner were not an option. So as to appease
Although had the +2 been available I assume that Carey would have been selected and NOT Skinner.

 

[makam]

Well, if her twisties had manifested in the warmup gym (or she had broken her ankles on a screwed up vault) would they have been able to bring in Jade or Mykayla? Or would it have had to happen the day before? Because that was one of the key advantages touted for having a +1 athlete since they were already credentialed. Of course, I recall it being said that the athlete who is replaced gets erased from the competition? So it isn’t like 5 gymnasts would get medals, it would still be 4 no matter that Simone competed in TQ.

 

[Kittentoes]

One of my non gymn friends literally just posted an article about the IOC treating Simone unfairly so she quit as protest. People stupid. I have a migraine.

 

[JaJa]

One of my non gymn friends literally just posted an article about the IOC treating Simone unfairly so she quit as protest. People stupid. I have a migraine.

But this is what happens when there is a lack of clear, timely and understandable messaging.

 

[Puffin]

Is Tom still Missing in Action? Hiding under the bed? What has he done publicly since Tuesday to support the team he selected?

Is he still NTC? or has he quit/been fired and it’s just not been announced?

 

[arabiandoublefront]

All good questions. I thought we would get some answers by now. I think he made a private post on Facebook somewhere, but that’s about it.

 

[rlayt]

A live event about athletes, Olympics, mental health.

https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1ypJdgdAdQNGW

 

[rlayt]

Is he still NTC? or has he quit/been fired and it’s just not been announced?

One can hope.

 

[Passion]

I’m so curious who will replace him!

They’ll promote Dan Baker to Senior Coordinator and throw someone new at the juniors. If I was a USA fan I would be hoping to keep Forster, because unless they rehire Liukin (with a team of publicists) a better replacement isn’t coming.

 

[arabiandoublefront]

Yeesh, not good.