Olympics 2021 -- Competition and Results

[DukeTrinity11]

If those guys mess up, they lose a game. What they are doing is not dangerous. "Having a bad day" won't result in serious injury or death. Sure, there are freak accidents, but in general they don't play a dangerous sport (ok, football is dangerous, but not because you make a routine mistake like a bad throw)

If Biles makes a mistake on a vault, the beam, the uneven bars, even the floor can result in serious injury. Half of performing at this level is believing you can perform at this level.

If LeBron at the end of the game said to the coach, "I just don't have it today. I'm not taking the game winning shot" all he loses is the game and some respect...and yes it does happen.
https://www.espn.com/espn/commentary...lasting-stigma

I acknowledge that "having a bad day" can be a lot more dangerous in gymnastics but that's not what Biles alluded to her in her quotes in the press conference following the event.

Really my only gripe with this situation is quotes like these which don't allude to what you described as her reason for withdrawing:

Simone Biles: ‘I feel like I’m also not having as much fun - and this Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself and it felt like I was still doing for other people - and that hurts my heart that doing what I love has been taken away from me.’

[PackMan97]

If its truly the Yips, she should've mentioned that and spoken more about how her mental state then could've potentially seriously injured her. That would resonate a lot better since the same risk doesn't exist in sports if you just play terribly in a game.

I just think she and her PR team could've handled it a lot better. That quote was cringeworthy.

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/simone...ry?id=79109054

The decision came on the heels of Biles' early exit from the team final on Tuesday, after a rare stumble on her first vault. All eyes were on the reigning Olympic all-around gymnastics champion to see if she would attempt a Yurchenko double pike on vault. Instead, she bailed in the middle of her planned Amanar -- a Yurchenko with 2.5 twists -- and only completed a 1.5 twist, bringing down the difficulty level of her vault. She scored a 13.766, which was uncharacteristically low for her.

...

"No injuries, thankfully, and that's why I took a step back because I didn't want to do something silly out there and get injured," Biles said during a press conference following the competition Tuesday. "So I thought it was best if these girls took over and did the rest of the job, which they absolutely did."

I don't know what the words mean, but a Yurchenko double pike is something that no one has EVER attempted in the Olypmics.

I would definitely say it was a case of the yips/loss of confidence/chickening out, whatever you want to call it.

[DukeTrinity11]

If my surgeon decided in the operating room that his or her head wasn’t in it, I’d much rather they stop and sew me up than plunge forward with the operation. YMMV

Aha, but what if your surgeon told you right after he did the first incision on you that he needed to stop the operation because he didn't feel like he was enjoying doing surgery anymore and he feels like his heart isn't in the job? Also, what if this surgeon was the most qualified individual in the world for a particularly complex operation where the fill in surgeon isn't as experienced in doing?

Always that could be a matter of life and death and this is just an Olympic sport but I think that following through on commitments means something.

I wish the young woman the best of luck for the rest of her life and hope she gets the mental help she needs. She's the lone survivor from Larry Nassar who's still competing so kudos to an incredible career if she calls it quits here.

[cato]

https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/simone...ry?id=79109054



I don't know what the words mean, but a Yurchenko double pike is something that no one has EVER attempted in the Olypmics.

I would definitely say it was a case of the yips/loss of confidence/chickening out, whatever you want to call it.

Apparently, it’s called the Twisties and it sounds very dangerous to me. Much more so that suddenly losing the ability to throw from second to first.

[camion]

Aha, but what if your surgeon told you right after he did the first incision on you that he needed to stop the operation because he didn't feel like he was enjoying doing surgery anymore and he feels like his heart isn't in the job? Also, what if this surgeon was the most qualified individual in the world for a particularly complex operation where the fill in surgeon isn't as experienced in doing?

Always that could be a matter of life and death and this is just an Olympic sport but I think that following through on commitments means something.

I wish the young woman the best of luck for the rest of her life and hope she gets the mental help she needs. She's the lone survivor from Larry Nassar who's still competing so kudos to an incredible career if she calls it quits here.

That's harsh so I'll do a counterpoint. Hypotheticals can go either way.

What if the surgeon also told you that his hands were shaking and he might accidentally cut something vital during the operation? Would you want him to follow through on his commitment to do the surgery? Or would you prefer a less qualified, but still very good surgeon whose hands were steady that day?

[OldPhiKap]

You pay a surgeon to perform a service.

What did you pay Simone? What does she owe you?

[dudog84]

Seems like it rarely goes as well for athletes 4 years after their splash performance. Thinking back to my youth, Olga '76 was not Olga '72, and Nadia '80 was not Nadia '76. I'm sure it's not just gymnastics (I guess Katie '20 in swimming is immediate proof of that).

Though this is a bit different of course. But perhaps they should quit while they are ahead (few do). Considering the focus needed to reach this stature, it's probably all they know...but that focus also pushes one's body and mind to the breaking point.

I feel for Simone, but regardless of anyone's feelings on the matter or the basis of the circumstances, this will be a hit on her legacy. Yet she's still accomplished more than most on this board ever will. Mixed blessing.

[dudog84]

That's harsh so I'll do a counterpoint. Hypotheticals can go either way.

What if the surgeon also told you that his hands were shaking and he might accidentally cut something vital during the operation? Would you want him to follow through on his commitment to do the surgery? Or would you prefer a less qualified, but still very good surgeon whose hands were steady that day?

Depends on where he's operating.

[ClemmonsDevil]

https://youtu.be/UqwJWOSIFM4

Norman Dale has it right. It's her talent. She gets to do with it what she wants. She doesn't owe me, her country, or anyone else anything. I would also argue that gymnastics is an individual sport that in the Olympics masquerades as a team sport.

[camion]

Depends on where he's operating.

Let's say it's above the waistline so not that vital.*

We'll go with brain surgery. If it goes well you'll be happy with the result and if it goes badly you won't remember. So it's win/tie.


*My first response was, "He's operating in New Jersey."

[sagegrouse]

I acknowledge that "having a bad day" can be a lot more dangerous in gymnastics but that's not what Biles alluded to her in her quotes in the press conference following the event.

Really my only gripe with this situation is quotes like these which don't allude to what you described as her reason for withdrawing:

Simone Biles: ‘I feel like I’m also not having as much fun - and this Olympic Games I wanted it to be for myself and it felt like I was still doing for other people - and that hurts my heart that doing what I love has been taken away from me.’

I dunno DT11 -- another dollop of "empathy ointment" thrown in your direction -- but I would say two things, having had children and grandchildren in gymnastics since the Olga Korbut days. The "mental" part of gymnastics is very, very important. Second, gymnasts incur the highest amount of physical injuries of any sport -- second is football. Everyone is competing with effects of part injuries.

[JasonEvans]

I just discovered that this week will be the debut of Olympic mixed medley relay swimming. 2 men and 2 women on a relay team. You have to decide which legs each will swim so you sometimes see men and women racing against each other at the same time.

I am ALL IN on this event and think it will be a ton of fun.

Here is a race from 2019 (starts at the 2:00 mark) which is so much fun! Caleb Dressel just destroys in leg #3 swimming the butterfly.

[pfrduke]

Aha, but what if your surgeon told you right after he did the first incision on you that he needed to stop the operation because he didn't feel like he was enjoying doing surgery anymore and he feels like his heart isn't in the job? Also, what if this surgeon was the most qualified individual in the world for a particularly complex operation where the fill in surgeon isn't as experienced in doing?

I am comfortable saying that I have a hard and fast rule that if my surgeon isn't 100% all-in on the surgery he or she is performing, I don't want her or him performing it. I don't care what the reason is.

[ClemmonsDevil]

I just discovered that this week will be the debut of Olympic mixed medley relay swimming. 2 men and 2 women on a relay team. You have to decide which legs each will swim so you sometimes see men and women racing against each other at the same time.

I am ALL IN on this event and think it will be a ton of fun.

Here is a race from 2019 (starts at the 2:00 mark) which is so much fun! Caleb Dressel just destroys in leg #3 swimming the butterfly.

I was literally just thinking they should do that yesterday while watching swimming.I love this!

[Bluedog]

I just discovered that this week will be the debut of Olympic mixed medley relay swimming. 2 men and 2 women on a relay team. You have to decide which legs each will swim so you sometimes see men and women racing against each other at the same time.

I am ALL IN on this event and think it will be a ton of fun.

Here is a race from 2019 (starts at the 2:00 mark) which is so much fun! Caleb Dressel just destroys in leg #3 swimming the butterfly.

Wow, that's a lot of fun to watch. Are there certain strokes where men/women have less of a gap in time than others? You'd think then that you'd choose the strokes/gender strategically although, of course, there is variance country-to-country and person-to-person. But if, for example, men typically are 3 seconds faster on freestyle but only 1 second faster on butterfly (just making those up), you'd expect to see only men do the freestyle. I know in running that women have been narrowing the gap on very long distances (like marathons) much moreso than short ones.

[PackMan97]

I just discovered that this week will be the debut of Olympic mixed medley relay swimming. 2 men and 2 women on a relay team. You have to decide which legs each will swim so you sometimes see men and women racing against each other at the same time.

I love it! There is no reason men and women can't compete together. I would love to see a mixed gymnastics as well.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

This Simone Biles discussion is making me very uncomfortable. I am bowing out. Making assumptions about someone's mental illness without information is extremely distasteful to me. I'm personally proud of her for being as forthright as she has. I don't feel that she owes anyone anything - certainly not me or other casual fans.

I'll find other Olympic topics to chat about here. There's lots of great stories.

[CinANC]

Mtn.Devil.-

You have provided a segue for a post I withheld yesterday. BTW I also followed this thread with discomfort. Enough so that I held off until your post.

I will suggest that when these Olympics end, there may be no more remarkable, unanticipated or unlikely individual success for the US than that of Lydia Jacoby’s gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke. Lydia is a 17 year old never-heard-of-her from Seward, AK, less than 3,000 pop., no year-round swim program and with a single 25 meter pool in her town (the pool was shut down much of the past year so she and her mom rented an apartment in ANC and drove 2 ½ hours each way to swim there).

As an Alaskan, I follow our in-state media and have known of her background, which even here only recently became more than Seward weekly newspaper interest. I find her story compelling both for the adversity and odds she faced against such an achievement, coming from behind as she did to beat both the current world record holder and Olympic record holder. The ‘net was plugged yesterday with videos of both her amazing finish and of the watch party in her little home town.

I suspect she soon will be seen on national morning interviews and if so, she will come across well. Her broader profile as a young instrumentalist/musician, singer and writer would further make her a good interview.

Maybe I assume too much. "Coming across well" also requires competent interviewing.

[Acymetric]

This Simone Biles discussion is making me very uncomfortable. I am bowing out. Making assumptions about someone's mental illness without information is extremely distasteful to me. I'm personally proud of her for being as forthright as she has. I don't feel that she owes anyone anything - certainly not me or other casual fans.

I'll find other Olympic topics to chat about here. There's lots of great stories.

I just want to point out that there is a lot of armchair psycho-analyzing coming from both sides in this debate (not from you specifically), and that I find it equally uncomfortable and distasteful from either direction. It would be nice if the people defending her and​ the people criticizing her would stop doing it.

[Phredd3]

I will suggest that when these Olympics end, there may be no more remarkable, unanticipated or unlikely individual success for the US than that of Lydia Jacoby’s gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke. Lydia is a 17 year old never-heard-of-her from Seward, AK, less than 3,000 pop., no year-round swim program and with a single 25 meter pool in her town (the pool was shut down much of the past year so she and her mom rented an apartment in ANC and drove 2 ½ hours each way to swim there).

As an Alaskan, I follow our in-state media and have known of her background, which even here only recently became more than Seward weekly newspaper interest. I find her story compelling both for the adversity and odds she faced against such an achievement, coming from behind as she did to beat both the current world record holder and Olympic record holder. The ‘net was plugged yesterday with videos of both her amazing finish and of the watch party in her little home town.

I suspect she soon will be seen on national morning interviews and if so, she will come across well. Her broader profile as a young instrumentalist/musician, singer and writer would further make her a good interview.

Maybe I assume too much. "Coming across well" also requires competent interviewing.

Maybe so, but they showcased her guitar and singing s part of a pretty cool montage on one of the many channels the other day. That made a pretty good impression on me, at least. My sister played some international basketball briefly, and practices were about 2.5 hours away (Denali to Fairbanks). My parents drove her up and back every weeknight for about a month. And here I thought they were amazingly gung-ho. I can't imagine doing that for a year, let alone renting a place to make it work. Good for Mom and Dad! They earned it.