Pretty horrible day for the USOC. The softball women lost in the gold medal game and Simone Biles just said, "nah, I'm good."
The discourse around this is really strange too. Mental health is important, but pretending this is a good thing is total nonsense. ESPN called her “the ultimate teammate” after quitting on her team, because she cheered and got them chalk.
It's absolutely a good thing. I hate that we want athletes to crap we would never do, all in the name of entertainment. Most people get sick days and/or mental health days at their job. She felt the need to use one of hers, good for her, she's accomplished all that she can in her career. If she woke up one day and said, you know what, eff this, she's 100% earned it. Think of the most accomplished person in the history of your employer, you think they can get away with things that Johnny Come In At 9:01 Everyday does? eff yes, because they earned it.
The Kerri Strug thing was awesome when it happened, but it was unnecessary. That was a 19 year old girl who, we know in retrospect, felt like she needed to but her body in harms way for what we now know were very abusive coaches. She was literally frightened into running on, vaulting, and landing on an ankle with two torn ligaments. That's rough ridin' deplorable and emblematic of what USA Gymnastics are. Now we come full circle to this woman, who was raped repeatedly by her rough ridin' team doctor, having to perform for USA Gymnastics, who not only covered for that monster, but then didn't wholeheartedly support the woman who were victimized by said monster.
If anybody in the history of life earned the right to do a Forrest Gump and just stop, turn around and go home, it was Simone Biles. Good for her.
