Biles Walks Away, Shows that It's 'Ok to Not Be Ok' and Highlights Mental Health in the Olympics
American's departure and Rebeca Andrade's injuries highlight the mental and physical challenge of gymnastics
As the winner of four Olympic gold medals, American gymnast Simone Biles underscored the obvious when leaving a stage of the Tokyo Games, on Tuesday (27): “We have to focus on ourselves because, at the end of the day, we are human too.”
The following day, the young woman also stepped down from competing in the individual final, which takes place on Thursday (29). "Physically, I feel good," Biles told the US channel NBC. "Emotionally, it varies with the time and the moment."
“It's ok to not be ok” has become an acceptable conclusion in the sport's elite, and no longer a weakness incompatible with superathletes.
In Brazil, artistic gymnastics is also called Olympic gymnastics. Superhuman performance is expected from these athletes, and mental overload takes its toll.
Rebeca Andrade, 22, from São Paulo, with recurrent injuries, is applauded for persisting. She will attempt to medal in the all-around. But she already thought about leaving gymnastics when she tore her knee ligament in 2015, and was left out of the Pan American Games.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon