What happened in Team Finals

[JaJa]

Am I the only one who thinks that this was planned, somehow? Something about this just does not track for me.

First, I don’t understand the narrative of “I wanted to do it for myself but I was doing it for other people” when she’s spent all season talking about how part of why she came back was to 1) see how far she could push herself and 2) keep a Nassar survivor in the USAG system. Both those narratives fall apart based on today’s comments.

Second, it was utterly bizarre for her to say that team USA was “hoping for top 3.” Again, not at all along the narrative that Simone herself has been pushing since her comeback. And this was an intentional statement.

Third, that post-meet media event was…something. We’ve seen her get extremely and rightly emotional and candid over the years, from “You had one damn job” to the fluff about being older and more scared of her skills (full prefrontal cortex development has entered the chat.) Is it not strange to anyone else that there was a nonchalance in her answers? It all sounded so…rehearsed. Yes, there are bigger things in the world than the Olympics after the Olympics and your career are over. But you can’t be an Olympian and have it not be the biggest thing in your world. I supposed I would have expected more devastation if this was something that hit her unexpectedly today.

Tom’s absence also seems to indicate that there is at the very least, a huge breakdown in communication between him and the athletes OR he’s putting out fires we don’t know about.

I’m not saying she made the wrong call. And for casual viewers, it’s really easy to forget that the difference between Michael Phelp’s mental health struggles that he pushed through to win and Simone’s could be literal paralysis or death. But I still think that this is extremely weird and that something else has been going on since they arrived in Tokyo, possibly before. The lush in me really wants to find out, but we likely never will (or it’ll take a while.)

Also, I bet Grace is seething. She didn’t say a damn word during the post-meet conference, and her coach has commented on how quiet but brutally competitive she is.

Do not see this at all.

 

[Doug1233]

I don’t think there’s any way this was planned

It 1000% wasn’t planned.

Look at that GIF I posted. You’d never EVER do that intentionally. She was scanning the ceiling looking for the floor.

 

[Jack]

In terms of the twisties, do they manifest themselves more in single saltos with multiple twists, or can they hinder double saltos with and without twisting as well?

 

[alc]

In terms of the twisties, do they manifest themselves more in single saltos with multiple twists, or can they hinder double saltos with and without twisting as well?

What’s “the twisties”?

 

[Doug1233]

Mental block over twisting. Can manifest in a lot of ways but usually results in baulking or losing your head in twisting elements.

VERY common.

 

[rlayt]

From the other thread:

Missy Marlowe trying to explain what the twisties are, for anyone who wants to read a longer explanation: https://twitter.com/MissyAMarlowe/status/1420088071517659137

 

[Doug1233]

In terms of the twisties, do they manifest themselves more in single saltos with multiple twists, or can they hinder double saltos with and without twisting as well?

No idea I never did a double back with twist in it. Mine was always on forward non-twisting elements. But I think different people get them differently.

 

[alc]

Am I the only one who thinks that this was planned, somehow? Something about this just does not track for me.

First, I don’t understand the narrative of “I wanted to do it for myself but I was doing it for other people” when she’s spent all season talking about how part of why she came back was to 1) see how far she could push herself and 2) keep a Nassar survivor in the USAG system. Both those narratives fall apart based on today’s comments.

Second, it was utterly bizarre for her to say that team USA was “hoping for top 3.” Again, not at all along the narrative that Simone herself has been pushing since her comeback. And this was an intentional statement.

Third, that post-meet media event was…something. We’ve seen her get extremely and rightly emotional and candid over the years, from “You had one damn job” to the fluff about being older and more scared of her skills (full prefrontal cortex development has entered the chat.) Is it not strange to anyone else that there was a nonchalance in her answers? It all sounded so…rehearsed. Yes, there are bigger things in the world than the Olympics after the Olympics and your career are over. But you can’t be an Olympian and have it not be the biggest thing in your world. I supposed I would have expected more devastation if this was something that hit her unexpectedly today.

Tom’s absence also seems to indicate that there is at the very least, a huge breakdown in communication between him and the athletes OR he’s putting out fires we don’t know about.

I’m not saying she made the wrong call. And for casual viewers, it’s really easy to forget that the difference between Michael Phelp’s mental health struggles that he pushed through to win and Simone’s could be literal paralysis or death. But I still think that this is extremely weird and that something else has been going on since they arrived in Tokyo, possibly before. The lush in me really wants to find out, but we likely never will (or it’ll take a while.)

Also, I bet Grace is seething. She didn’t say a damn word during the post-meet conference, and her coach has commented on how quiet but brutally competitive she is.

Implying that this was “planned” feels like an unnecessary conspiracy theory, but I can definitely appreciate your point that perhaps Simone and/or those closer to the situation (including Tom) coulda/shoulda/might well have seen this coming.

I don’t doubt that they knew way more than we did prior to TF.

 

[Kittentoes]

Didn’t we call this “lost in the air” back in the days?

 

[rlayt]

Omg I shouldn’t have. It makes me look forward to the day Skinner retires and we don’t have to hear any more about her.

View attachment 1944

 

[Doug1233]

I don’t know what it is about them, but Myk stans are just a different breed.

 

[Angelika]

In 20 years time we are still going to be talking about this.

 

[tempest]

In 20 years time we are still going to be talking about this.

Probably… we still debate Retton v Szabo, Silivas v Shushunova, Miller v Gutsu et al

 

[formerly_odessa]

My bf, who is very much into sports, but not gymnastics, also thinks it was a case of not wanting to compete if she wasnt going to be the best ever. Again, he’s not expert and doesn’t know much about women’s sports, but based on this one comment, I bet there are lots of people who will agree (casual viewers).

I think Simone should definitely pull out of the rest of competition if she has even an inkling that she is not mentally healthy enough.

 

[formerly_odessa]

Whenever Simone said that about being older, I was like, yup! I used to love rollercoasters. I went on one 8 weeks after having my son and I literally wanted to fall off so the fear would end.

 

[PollyofOld]

I’m scared this is the way mean critics will spin it, as some kind of arrogance. I’m terrified she’ll hear that vile spewage. Ugh, it just canNOT get in her head right now.

 

[rlayt]

Simone Biles owes you nothing

We should applaud what she did.

ftw.usatoday.com

 

[Gymnbf]

Maybe planned isn’t the right word, because I don’t think this is a conspiracy. But this also doesn’t strike me as a random thing. Too much weirdness leading up to it.

 

[rlayt]

Sam talks about Simone and his battles. He may go into sports psychology.

 

[makam]

And if anyone knows about being dragged by the gymternet, it’s Sam.