bodyweight plus wrote:
Strug and Biles were both products of the grossly abusive Karolyi Eastern Bloc system that tore down tens of thousands of young women over decades to produce a few winners of what, in the spectrum of human history and accomplishment, is a trivial endeavor. Biles didn’t need to come back to be the GOAT of this horrible enterprise, and good for her that she was able to realize this, although belatedly.
Same as it ever was.
All sports have similar narrative, gymnastics, track & field, football, tennis, etc
Karolyi, Salazar, Belichick, Saban, etc. are only successful because they have the focus and fortitude to get the most performance out of their athletes. ....and none were/are known for their emphasis on their athletes mental health.
Not advocating for, but this is reflective of sport success.
Do we need to ask ourselves: Why do we compete?
Do we want to see the very best physical performances or do we really want the best performances within an athletes mental capacity?
Further, isn't the success that comes with winning a gold or championship actually measuring an athletes mental fortitude at that moment of performance and not just physical??
Championship performance is completely a measure of both mental strength and physical strength.
Perseverance and fortitude should be valued more than quitting in the moment even if it is stressful. Life is stressful for us mere mortals too, but we persevere
For me, Biles is not wrong to withdraw, but she should have known she was not mentally prepared long before she got to Tokyo. ....That is where she failed the team