It seems like everyone and their dog has opinions about the Olympic gymnastics women's team, particularly Simone Biles. Last week's team final was confusing when Simone pulled out. Rumors and gossip abound before the NBC airing of the event, but when her vault was shown, with the slow motion replay following right after, it was obvious she was lost in the air. When the team gathered around her after the vault Simone told her teammates that she was afraid of getting hurt.
Then Simone did what no one expected, she pulled out of the last two apparatuses she was planning to perform, Suni and Jordan filling in the exit. The team went on to win a silver, facing the challenge with great courage.
As time went on it was known that Simone pulled out of those last two apparatuses for mental health reasons, while also battling an out of no where onslaught of the "Twisties," a sense of losing spacial awareness while in the air, and other whatnot's I don't understand, which is incredibly dangerous.
What followed was a complete tear down and bullying of Simone online, calling her a quitter, some telling her to throw away the silver medal she earned. (There are 4 team members on each countries team, with only 3 performing on each apparatus. I recall the Russian team having a member who only performed on vault, which is what ended up happening with Simone, and is completely within the rules. Simone rightfully earned that silver medal.)
The week that followed led to Simone pulling out of the individual all around, and the single vault, double bars, and floor routine medal finals. Meanwhile she was able to find a gym with soft landings to work on the twisties and monitor her recovery each day.
During this last week Suni Lee won gold in the all around with an amazing performance and super tight competition. MyKayla Skinner didn't fly home openhanded, but with a story book ending won silver on the vault. Jade Carey had a misstep on the vault, and came back the next day with a really strong performance on the floor, earning gold.
Meanwhile Simone Biles was in the audience cheering and encouraging her teammates, her future uncertain. After the team final Simone made sure MyKayla was immediately contacted and told not to go home, but stay just in case. And Simone told Jade after her failed vault to kill it on the floor.
And yesterday Simone performed on the balance beam, an apparatus that doesn't require much twisting, and won a bronze, which is what she earned in Rio.
Everyone on team USA earned a medal.
I'm inspired by every team member. Simone Biles for being brave and admitting she had a problem and needed to step back, only to come back with an amazing beam performance, not giving up. Jordan and Grace for staying strong during the team final and performing great routines. Suni Lee for her graceful performance, earning a complete set of medals. MyKayla who performed amazingly during qualification, but didn't qualify thanks to the stupid "two per country rule." She was planning on heading home, but got the chance to stay, and after years of trying and sacrifice she's an Olympic medalist. And Jade for doing well in the all around individual competition, then stumbling on the vault, only to come back the next day and becoming an Olympic champion.
You are all amazing women.
