Biles Takes Olympic Bronze After Mental Health Battle TOKYO: Simone Biles’ Nightmare and Not Being Able to Do Anything, It Form
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Established 1961 13 Sports Wednesday, August 4, 2021 ‘I did it for me’: Biles takes Olympic bronze after mental health battle TOKYO: Simone Biles’ nightmare and not being able to do anything, it form. At 6:11 pm local time (0911 GMT), it Olympics concluded with the US gym- wasn’t fun.” was her time. One long week on from her nastics superstar returning in the beam The four-time gold medalist from the first shock withdrawal, the 24-year-old final yesterday, declaring “I did it for me” Rio Games received a huge cheer from from Ohio was finally back at her day job. after taking bronze behind Chinese her US teammates when she entered the Wiping her brow, she approached the teenager Guan Chenchen. arena. With bib 392 on her back, she beam, chalked up, and finally got the It was Biles’ first taste of competition filed in with the other eight finalists, wheels back on her derailed Olympic in Tokyo since dramatically standing blowing a kiss to the cameras. Another campaign. While avoiding any twists down during the women’s team final last cheer rang out when the stadium incorporated in her favored and most week, struggling with the “twisties”, a announcer said: “And now, representing difficult moves, she put in a solid per- condition meaning gymnasts lose the the United States...Simone Biles.” formance, ending with a double back- ability to orientate themselves in mid-air. ward somersault, double pike dismount. “I was just happy to be able to per- ‘Nervous’ Her face breaking into a broad grin, form regardless of the outcome. I wasn’t She looked pensive on her comeback she waved and hugged rivals and team expecting to walk away with the medal, I as she waited for her turn to climb up officials, the relief of having performed was just doing this for me,” said Biles, onto the 10cm wide beam for one of the clear on her face. Her routine earned the who revealed her aunt died two days most intensely scrutinized 90-second triple world champion on the apparatus ago. “I did this for me and me only. I just routines of her or anyone else’s life. 14.000 points. went out there and had fun.” Among the audience for the 19-time “I was a little bit nervous for the dis- After also withdrawing from the first world champion’s heart-warming return mount just because we had to switch it three apparatus finals in the uneven bars, to the field of battle at the Ariake and I probably haven’t done a double vault and floor, she said she had only Gymnastics Centre was Olympic chief pike dismount since I was 12 years old, TOKYO: USA’s Simone Biles poses with her bronze medal during the podium ceremo- been cleared to compete in the beam on Thomas Bach and two canine cardboard so it was kind of hard to control that,” ny of the artistic gymnastics women’s balance beam of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Monday night. “We almost missed the cutouts of her beloved French bulldogs said Biles. “But to go out there and com- Games at Ariake Gymnastics Centre in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP deadline!” she disclosed, adding: “Just to — Lilo and Rambo. pete one more time and have every- have one more opportunity to compete Peeling off her Team USA red track- body’s support meant the world.” display to take gold with 14.633 points, back, as were ‘Lilo’ and ‘Rambo’ in their at the Olympic Games meant the world. suit, she practiced her dance moves in She was lying second behind Tang relegating Biles to bronze, the same col- mute manner from the stands, after her Training for five years and then coming her star-spangled banner leotard as she Xijing until 16-year-old Guan, the last of or she won in Rio. Bach was one of the Tokyo nightmare ended in smiles on the here, and then kind of being triggered waited for her turn as the third to per- the eight finalists to go, put in a superb first to congratulate her on her come- third rung of the beam podium. — AFP Gymnastics GOAT Biles now mental health trailblazer IOC to probe Belarus TOKYO: Simone Biles arrived in lined for most of the Games, with her Tokyo with superstar billing and histo- quest for a record-equaling nine career officials over athlete’s ry in her sights. She leaves with her Olympic gold medals largely forgotten. reputation enhanced — not by more However, she bravely returned for the forced flight gold medals, but by her candid final competition, the beam, and took approach to mental health. The bronze with a solid routine including a TOKYO: Olympic officials said yesterday they American, gymnastics’ acknowledged double backward somersault, double will investigate Belarus over claims the team GOAT (Greatest Of All Time), provided pike dismount. tried to force an athlete now sheltering in the shock of the Tokyo Olympics when This was despite still suffering from Poland’s Tokyo embassy to return home after she abruptly pulled out of the team the “petrifying” twisties, where gym- she criticized her coaches. Krystsina competition over the “twisties”, a dis- nasts temporarily lose their ability to Tsimanouskaya says she fears for her safety if orientating mental block. But it could orient themselves in mid-air — some- she returns to Belarus, and she is expected to turn out to be one of her most influen- times resulting in horrendous falls. “I travel to Poland this week after being offered a tial moments, with signs that other top don’t think you realise how dangerous humanitarian visa. athletes are already following her this is on hard/competition surface nor TOKYO: USA’s Simone Biles practices ahead of the artistic gymnastics women’s US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yester- example by prioritizing mental wellbe- do I have to explain why I put health balance beam final of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Ariake Gymnastics day accused Belarus of an “act of transnational ing over competition. first,” she wrote on Instagram. “Physical Centre in Tokyo yesterday. — AFP repression” over the alleged attempt to force Biles was widely hailed for her move, health is mental health.” her home. Tsimanouskaya spent the night in unheard-of in the middle of an elite Biles’s actions have been quickly lete — after winning gold in Tokyo. arrogance. Where Biles is concerned, Poland’s embassy in Tokyo after arriving there sport competition, with USA replicated elsewhere, with Olympic Biles’s struggles are all the more it was more a matter of fact. This Monday evening. Warsaw has denounced what Gymnastics offering its full support and champion swimmer Adam Peaty and poignant given her aura of invincibili- year, Biles had underscored her it calls a “criminal attempt” to kidnap the athlete. Olympics chief Thomas Bach praising England cricketer Ben Stokes both ty and the ‘GOAT’ tag she had greatness by becoming the first Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said her courage. “Who one year ago would announcing breaks for their mental embraced — to the extent of having a woman ever to pull off a Yurchenko he had spoken to the “courageous” have admitted to say (they) have mental health in recent days. Diver Shi Tingmao goat motif in rhinestones on her leo- double pike — a complex, gravity- Tsimanouskaya, who is “currently well taken health problems?” Bach said. revealed her struggles with depression tard. In other sports, that sort of con- defying vault that no other woman care of and safe”. The four-time champion was side- — a rare admission for a Chinese ath- fidence might risk being perceived as has attempted in competition. — AFP “I assured her that she can count on the sup- port and solidarity of Poland. In the coming days, she will fly to Warsaw, where she will be able to thrive without obstacles and, if she so US wary of Australian chooses, will receive further assistance,” he wrote on Facebook. Tsimanouskaya’s husband threat in women’s Arseny Zdanevich told AFP he had fled Belarus and was hoping to join his wife “in the near future”. basketball quarters “I believe it would not be safe for me to be there,” the 25-year-old fitness trainer said by TOKYO: The United States are wary of a “formi- phone from Ukraine. Tsimanouskaya, a 200 dable” Australia after the Opals staged a great metres specialist, criticised the Belarusian ath- escape to book a quarter-final showdown with their letics federation after they tried to force her to arch-rivals in the women’s Olympic basketball tour- run in a relay. She said that outburst led to the nament. The all-conquering Americans remain on attempt to forcibly send her home. track for a seventh consecutive title after winning Belarus strongman Alexander Lukashenko their three group games, but now face a team that has cracked down on any form of dissent since inflicted a rare defeat on them prior to the start of mass protests erupted after elections last year the Games. that were deemed unfair by the West. That Australian side featured its best player Liz Tsimanouskaya was one of more than 2,000 Cambage, but she pulled out ahead of Tokyo citing Belarusian sports figures who signed an open mental health struggles and her team have struggled letter calling for new elections and for political without her. The world number two Opals suffered prisoners to be freed. tough losses to Belgium and China in the prelimi- Poland is a staunch critic of Lukashenko’s SAITAMA: Australia’s Jenna O’hea (left) goes to the basket past Puerto Rico’s Michelle Gonzalez (right) in the naries and were left with the unenviable task of regime and has become home to a growing num- women’s preliminary round group C basketball match between Australia and Puerto Rico during the Tokyo needing to beat Puerto Rico in their final group ber of dissidents.