As we all know by now, Simone Biles removed herself from Olympic competition due to a case of the ‘twisties‘ or what other sports call the ‘yips’. She’s received an incredible amount of backlash for her decision to not compete in the Team or Individual All-Around competitions. What a terrible, difficult decision to make for someone so young and in the international spotlight on the biggest stage.
The most common criticism levied against her is she let her team and country down because she wasn’t mentally fit for the job. Many relating the decision to them skipping an important meeting or bailing on a big event because they ‘just didn’t feel right’.
‘Why bother showing up to the Olympics if you’re not ready to compete?’
‘I’d never skip a [sales call/court hearing/insert day-job activity] because I was having a bad day’.
‘I would just power through it. This is bigger than one person.’
Scroll Twitter and you’ll find keyboard warriors of all shapes and sizes giving their input on the situation.
Personally, I can’t imagine the stress or pressure of being the GOAT but none of that doesn’t matter because it’s the wrong way to think about the decision.
From what I see, the question to withdraw is less tied to mental strength or team/country spirit but a direct response to a concern for physical safety.
In a sport where you are flying 15ft in the air, performing double backflips and other moves I don’t know the name of, every time you leave the ground you risk a sprained knew, a broken ankle, or paralyzation. Potentially huge stakes.
I have no doubt if a sky diver isn’t in the right headspace, most would say they should skip the jump or take the day off. If your buddy is fumbling around and can’t find the ripcord, he shouldn’t be step out of that plane today.
Many of us in the peanut gallery just simply can’t relate appropriately. Most cases of the yips you can play through. Heck my golf game is one multi-year case of the yips.
The stakes are so low for us average Joe’s if we have a bad day at the office that we often remind ourselves to take work less seriously because, in fact, it’s not life or death. Even at the Olympic level if Michael Phelps is having a bad week, his turns will be slow, he’ll lose a race but he certainly won’t drown in the pool.
What a terrible decision for someone to have to make but when reframed as a physical safety issue, I think it’s all one we can better understand and support.