Second place is the first loser in ‘Murica. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” said Ledecky, expected to swim like a boss every time she hits the water for Team USA. From the chants of “U-S-A! U-S-A!” in a bar when a skateboarder wins silver to the way NBC sells the Games as made-for-TV jingoism, we count medals as proof of American exceptionalism. Representing the red, white and blue at the Olympics is regarded as an act of patriotism. Well, the sad truth is James and Brady would be widely bashed, because the field of play is slanted on almost all matters of gender equity, and we don’t take mental-health issues seriously in America. I’ve heard male sports fans from Colorado to California respond exactly like this tweet that landed with a thud on my smartphone: Why is the media treating Biles so lightly? Cause she’s a woman? You know the media would rip apart LeBron James or Tom Brady if either one of them quit in the middle of Game 7 in the NBA Finals or during the first quarter of the Super Bowl for mental health reasons. That’s why empathy, much less sympathy, for Biles is far from universal. It’s been an unwritten rule for 200,000 years, since a Neanderthal first picked up a club and went out to hunt. But the male ego is laced with too much testosterone to accept we’re all prone to self-doubt. As much as we say we try to ignore it, it’s hard to stay positive.”Īnxiety is a very human condition. “At the highest level, we have the most eyes on us … You feel that every move you make is being watched and judged and all those things. swimmer Katie Ledecky, who responded to the soul-denting disappointment of finishing fifth in the 200-meter freestyle on Wednesday by crushing the 1,500 free only 75 minutes later to win gold. “I would never want to speak for Simone or say I know what she’s feeling, because none of us do. gymnasts like dolls with replaceable parts? Maybe that’s why women have learned the hard way: If they don’t take care of themselves, nobody will. Or have you forgotten the steely-eyed stare of svengali Bela Karolyi, who treated U.S. The themes emerging from the data suggested a strong conflicting narrative with many users supporting Biles and engaging in wider discussion surrounding athlete mental health, whilst others condemned her action suggesting she quit on the biggest sporting stage.Digital Replica Edition Home Page Close Menuįemale athletes have long been cajoled by male coaches to tough it out. A total of 40,122 user comments were collected and analysed using the qualitative software Leximancer. The purpose of this study was to analyse the Facebook narrative surrounding Biles’ withdrawal within the theoretical context of framing, as crafted through user comments on various public high-profile Facebook pages. Biles, one of the most recognisable stars of the Games, faced intense scrutiny from both the world’s media and the general public in the immediate aftermath. In: Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research - annual conference, 18-, California State University, Fullerton.ĭuring the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Team USA athlete, Simone Biles, withdrew from several gymnastics events mid-competition, citing mental health issues. Role model or quitter? Social media’s response to Simone Biles at Tokyo 2020.
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