Simone Biles is Not Weak. She is Smart.
The twisties, the yips, and why sometimes willpower isn’t enough
Simone Biles’ unexpected withdrawal Tuesday from the Olympics gymnastics team final (which was followed by the announcement that she won’t be participating in the individual all-around competition either) prompted a predictable barrage of criticism from conservative pundits calling Biles “soft” and “weak,” and labeling her decision a sign of selfishness and the decline of toughness in American culture.
This was, on the face of it, patently absurd, given that Biles is the greatest gymnast in history, and has pushed the sport’s limits by doing ever more dazzling — and dangerous — skills. But it was especially ridiculous in this case, because it rested on a complete misunderstanding of why Biles withdrew from the competition. In stepping down, she wasn’t being weak. She was being smart — not just for herself, but for the entire U.S. team.
Biles’ critics — and even some of her supporters — have tended to frame her decision to withdraw as if she just cracked under the pressure of being the presumptive GOAT coming into her final Olympics, implying that if she had just been more indifferent to her feelings, she could have powered through and brought home the gold medal for the U.S. (which ended up winning a very impressive…
