Gymnastics Infamous History Backs Simone Biles Scare of Near-Fatal Injury During Tokyo Olympics; Justifying Her Withdrawal

Gymnastics is an exciting sport for many. Some events like the vault, balance beam, and many more events are stunning to watch. It gives fans a wholesome experience of how far a human body can go. However, the sport is dangerous and can cause near-fatal accidents. The decision Simone Biles took at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was when most people were aware of the problems related to the sport.

The decision was probably for the best of the American gymnast. Many gymnasts had their lives altered by a career-threatening injury while performing the sport. The phenomenon of twisties remains a problem, as it is dangerous when considering the welfare of the gymnasts. 

A dangerous sport

The various examples of gymnasts suffering from serious injuries that derailed their careers are plenty. A 15-year-old American gymnast named Julissa Gomez was paralyzed before the 1988 Olympics and lost her life three years later. Gymnastics is an elite-level competition that draws a fine line between safety and danger. But things went south for the young gymnast. 

Similarly, the story of Elena Mukhina echoes through the ears of the gymnastics fraternity. Before the Olympics, she prepared herself to do a challenging skill named Thomas salto, a move that is banned now. Her coaches knew about her incredible talent. They motivated her to attempt it. However, before the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Mukhina couldn’t complete the move and landed on her chin.

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That move paralyzed her permanently, and she died aged 46 from complications related to the injury. All these examples creep into the minds of most gymnasts. Athletes like Biles have stepped up to the plate and shown the courage to choose life-changing decisions. 

Simone Biles takes a brave step

Heading to the 2020 Olympics as the favorite for most events, Biles took a crucial decision for the welfare of gymnasts and explained the problems it causes in the future if one was mentally unsure. She spoke about twisties– a phenomenon that caused gymnasts to lose their sense of space and dimension when they’re in the air. Nonetheless, it causes the gymnasts to rotate more and do an extra flip or twist that causes serious injury to the athletes. To sum up, Biles’ decision is understandable. 

While the spirit of competition drives athletes to go to the next level, the dangers that come with it showcase the dark side of the sport. Despite being a world-class gymnast like Biles, the ability to say ‘no’ demands respect. From all the above examples, learning from one’s mistakes helps young gymnasts understand the level of going all in and stepping back at the right moment.

Simone Biles just became an example for everyone to understand the value of life. Just simply, the greatest gymnast of all time. 

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