The three-time Olympic gold medalist says she supports Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw and suggests it could show greater dysfunction inside the organization
Aly Raisman calls USA Gymnastics a “disaster” after Simone Biles withdraws from final
From CNN’s Josiah Ryan
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman criticized USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee today for a lack of leadership in supporting athletes following Simone Biles’ surprise exit from the women’s team gymnastic final.
“USA Gymnastics has been an absolute disaster for years and unfortunately not enough has changed for us to believe in a safer future, but I think this just really shows the lack of leadership [of] USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic Committee,” she told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Biles stepped away from Tuesday’s competition saying it was important she protect her mental wellbeing and that athletes were “people at the end of the day.”
Raisman also suggested Biles’ decision could be an indicator of greater disfunction inside the organizations that govern gymnastics for American athletes.
“Their best athlete is struggling … is there someone there to help her?” asked Raisman. “I don’t know. I’m not there, so I don’t know. But I think it’s an important question that we should be asking.”
“Does Simone have the support that she needs?” continued Raisman. “Do other athletes have the support that they need?”
Earlier in the interview, Raisman also drew from personal experience to describe the enormous pressure star athletes such as Biles face when under the global spotlight.
“It’s a tremendous amount of pressure,” she said. “…I feel for her so much and it’s a lot of pressure and I think that factored into it.”
“I’m completely devastated and I support her so much,” she added.
Watch more from Aly Raisman’s interview:
This runner qualified for the Olympics but his DACA status almost kept him away from his dream
From CNN’s Nicole Chavez
When Luis Grijalva crossed the finish line at the NCAA track and field championships last month, he knew he could reach his Olympic dream.
But first, immigration officials would have to agree to let the 22-year-old runner travel outside the United States and come back to the country he calls home.
Grijalva is a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient who will travel to Japan on Friday to represent Guatemala in the 5,000-meter race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He and his lawyer spent several weeks petitioning US Citizenship and Immigration Services for a special permit known as advance parole that allows DACA recipients to reenter the US after traveling abroad.
They were unsure if immigration officials would be able to grant Grijalva permission on time, but on Monday, he got cleared to travel after weeks of uncertainty.
“It’s a privilege and an honor to represent Guatemala because that’s where I was born, (where I) have generations of family and that’s where my roots started,” he told CNN.
Grijalva was only one year old when his family moved to New York City from Guatemala. The family of five later moved to Fairfield, California, where Grijalva often ran for fun along with other children in Turkey Trot races on Thanksgiving.
At those holiday races and PE classes, Grijalva slowly started noticing that he was faster than other kids his age. But it was not until he became a teenager while at the Armijo High School in Fairfield that he realized how much he loved to run, and with the help of his coaches, focused on becoming a cross-country runner, he said.
Since graduating high school, a full-ride scholarship to Northern Arizona University has helped Grijalva continue running competitively while pursuing a career in communications. For the past three years, he has improved his performance and is improving his personal best times.
Last month, he finished second in the men’s 5,000-meter race at the NCAA Division I men’s and women’s outdoor track and field championships in Eugene, Oregon. He had a time of 13 minutes and 13.14 seconds – an effort that became his ticket to the Olympics.
While he couldn’t represent the US in the Olympics for several reasons, including his immigration status, Guatemala selected him for the country’s delegation. He was honored for the opportunity but didn’t know if there would be enough time to apply and receive an immigration permit to travel.
At that point, Grijalva says, he had about 27 days to get the travel permission. The process to get a permit takes at least 90 days, said Jessica Smith Bobadilla, Grijalva’s lawyer.
Smith Bobadilla said they were able to put together a very detailed application and had been in touch with lawmakers in Arizona about Grijalva’s situation. On Monday, they made a last effort to expedite his application and went to the USCIS offices in Phoenix, they said.
Grijalva says it was “unbelievable” when immigration officials confirmed he had been granted permission to travel after they waited for several hours at the office.
He will be running for Guatemala on Aug. 3 for the preliminary 5,000-meter race. After the Olympics, he will continue his career professionally after having signed a contract with the shoe company Hoka One One.
“It’s honestly a dream to pursue a passion that doesn’t feel like a job,” Grijalva said. “It’s pretty awesome.”
Read Grijalva’s full story here.
Catch up: Here’s why Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team finals
From CNN’s Alyssa Kraus
World-renowned gymnast and four-time Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles withdrew from the women’s gymnastics team finals over mental health concerns today.
Here’s everything you need to know about Biles’ decision:
The withdrawal:
- Biles withdrew midway through the women’s team finals after leaving the field to be attended to. After visiting a trainer, Biles returned to the arena, but did not warm up for uneven bars. Instead, 20-year-old Jordan Chiles took Biles’ place.
- From the sidelines, Biles supported her teammates — chatting with them and cheering after each routine. Biles was a lively presence, jumping up and down in support of her teammates.
- When asked what she told the rest of the team when she withdrew, Biles said she told them, “you have done all the training, you can do this without me, and it will be just fine.”
The results:
- Team USA took silver in the women’s team finals, settling with a score of 166.096. The Russian Olympic Committee edged out Team USA to win gold with a score of 169.528.
- According to Biles, she was “proud” of her teammates. “For me, I’m proud for how the girls stepped up and did what they had to do. I owe this to the girls, it has nothing to do with me. I am very proud of them,” she said.
- In an Instagram post, Biles said she was “inspired” by Team USA’s performance in the finals. The gymnast wrote, “I’m SO proud of these girls right here. You girls are incredibly brave & talented! I’ll forever be inspired by your determination to not give up and to fight through adversity! They stepped up when I couldn’t. thanks for being there for me and having my back! forever love y’all.”
Mental health:
- Biles broke down in tears as she addressed the media following the competition. “Whenever you get in a high stress situation you kind of freak out,” she said. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and wellbeing.” Biles also said those competing are “not just athletes, we’re people at the end of the day.”
- Biles also said the team will have a “mental rest day” tomorrow.
- On Sunday, as Biles began to prepare for the team finals, she took to social media to describe the pressure she faces as a world-renowned gymnast. In an Instagram post, Biles said competing often leaves her feeling as if she has “the weight of the world on my shoulders.” Biles said she tries to “brush it off and make it seem like the pressure doesn’t affect me,” but described the Olympics as “no joke.”
What’s next:
- At a post-event media availability, Biles would not commit to her remaining events at this year’s Games. When asked if she would compete in Thursday’s individual all-around final, she responded, “We’re going to take it a day at a time. I know tomorrow we have a half day, at least the morning off. So it will be a good mental rest. So we will take it from there.” Following an unrelated question, Biles added, “Hopefully, I’ll get back out there and complete (in) a couple more events…”
- The gymnast is scheduled for four remaining events: the women’s all-round final on July 29, the women’s vault and uneven bars finals on Aug. 1, the women’s floor exercise final on Aug. 2 and the women’s balance beam final on Aug. 3.
- After today’s withdrawal, Biles will be assessed daily to get medical clearance for future competitions, USA Gymnastics said in a tweet.
Olympian Aly Raisman commends Biles for “her bravery and speaking up”
From CNN’s Harry Hullah and Maddie Araujo
Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman commended her former teammate Simone Biles for speaking up and doing what is best for her health.
Biles withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final at the Tokyo Olympics citing mental health concerns.
Raisman told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour that she “can’t imagine what Simone is going through,” and that she wants to remind people that “Simone Biles is human.”
“It just shows unfortunately that even the best athletes in the world… they have good days and bad days, and I commend her for her bravery and speaking up and doing what was right for her and what she felt was right for the team, it’s not easy,” Raisman said.
Raisman added that USA Gymnastics and the US Olympic Committee “really have to take a hard look at the way they’re treating their athletes. When I was competing, there was really no resources and mental health wasn’t really a discussion.”
“I’m praying that she’s ok, I’m praying that she gets the support and love that she needs,” the six-time Olympic medalist said.
Raisman, a former team USA captain, won the gymnastics team gold alongside Biles in the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Simone Biles won’t say if she will compete again at Tokyo Olympics
From CNN’s David Close
Following Simone Biles’ shocking withdrawal from the women’s team gymnastics final, the four-time Olympic gold medalist wouldn’t commit to her remaining events at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
At a post-event media availability on Tuesday, Biles was asked whether she would compete in Thursday’s individual all-around final.
Biles responded, “We’re going to take it a day at a time. I know tomorrow we have a half day, at least the morning off. So it will be a good mental rest. So we will take it from there.”
Following an unrelated question, Biles added, “Hopefully, I’ll get back out there and complete (in) a couple more events…”
Biles’ remaining Summer Games artistic gymnastics schedule is as follows:
- Thursday, July 29 — women’s all-around final
- Sunday, August 1 — women’s vault and uneven bars finals
- Monday, August 2 — women’s floor exercise final
- Tuesday, August 3 — women’s balance beam final
What happened? Biles withdrew from the women’s team gymnastics final at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Tuesday, citing mental heath concerns as she attempts to protect “her body and mind.”
After the final – won by the the Russia Olympic Committee (ROC) – Biles broke down in tears as she explained her decision.
“Whenever you get in a high stress situation, you kind of freak out,” the 24-year-old told reporters. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”
“It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head,” she added.
The gymnasts said those competing weren’t “just athletes, we’re people at the end of the day.”
“We’re people at the end of the day,” says Biles as mental health moves to top of Tokyo 2020 agenda
From CNN’s Ben Church
Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the women’s team gymnastics final has yet again highlighted the extreme pressure the world’s top athletes are under at Tokyo 2020.
After stepping away from Tuesday’s competition, the American said it was important that she protected her mental wellbeing and that athletes were “people at the end of the day.”
Just hours before, Naomi Osaka herself suffered a shock defeat in the third round of the women’s tennis competition. She, too, said the pressure and expectation surrounding her performance contributed to her struggles.
Osaka was very much the poster girl of this Olympics. Her face was plastered on billboards around Tokyo, with the four-time grand slam champion considered one of the hot favorites for the gold medal.
Similarly, the eyes of the world were on Biles this Tuesday. So much was expected of the 24-year-old, who even got a custom-made emoji made of her ahead of the Games.
Pressure on athletes is certainly nothing new but we’re now entering an era where those at the top of their sport are no longer scared of talking about it.
Osaka was returning to tennis for the first time since dropping out of the French Open last month, citing mental health issues.
She, like Biles, has spoken openly about the struggles that come with being a global superstar.
US Olympic swimming legend Michael Phelps has also spoken about the immense pressure that he felt while competing
The 28-time Olympic medalist has been open about his battle with depression which he says stems in part from the intensity of professional sport.
Last year, Phelps was part of a documentary called “The Weight of Gold” which looked at the mental pressures that come with competing at the Olympic Games.
“Really, after every Olympics I think I fell into a major state of depression,” he said in 2018.
Biles says she’s not hurt, but needed a break to “work on my mindfulness”
USA gymnast Simone Biles said she’s not injured following her decision to withdraw from the women’s gymnastics team event today. She said she decided to take “a step back” to prevent possible future injuries.
“No injury, thankfully, and that’s why I took a step back because I didn’t want to do something silly out there and get injured,” she told reporters after the event. USA went on to win silver while the Russian gymnasts took gold.
“I thought it was best if the girls took over and did the rest of the job which they absolutely did,” she said of her team. It’s been really stressful these Olympic Games.”
Biles continued:
“I just felt like it would be a little bit better to take a back seat and work on my mindfulness. I knew that the girls would do an absolutely great job.”
Simone Biles says she withdrew from finals over mental health concerns
From CNN’s Bex Wright
USA gymnast Simone Biles said she withdrew from today’s team finals over mental health concerns.
Biles broke down in tears as she addressed the media following the women’s team gymnastics final where Team USA won silver.
“Whenever you get in a high stress situation you kind of freak out,” she said. “I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and wellbeing.”
“We have to protect our body and our mind,” Biles added. “It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.”
Biles said those competing are “not just athletes, we’re people at the end of the day.”
The team is planning to have a “mental rest day” tomorrow, Biles added.
Simone Biles after USA silver medal win: “I’m proud for how the girls stepped up”
Earlier this morning, Team USA took silver in the women’s gymnastics team event after superstar Simone Biles withdrew. Following the event, Biles said she is proud of how her team stepped up.
“For me, I’m proud for how the girls stepped up and did what they had to do. I owe this to the girls, it has nothing to do with me. I am very proud of them,” she said.
Asked what she told the rest of the team when she withdrew, Biles said she told them, “you have done all the training, you can do this without me, and it will be just fine.”
After withdrawing from the event, Biles told the BBC she is “dealing with things internally.”
“I’m just dealing with things internally that will get fixed in the next couple of days,” she said.
Biles’ withdrawal from the women’s team gymnastics event came after she scored a disappointing score of 13.766 on the vault in the first rotation of the team event.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) confirmed shortly afterwards in a tweet that Biles would play no further part in the team event without providing a reason for the withdrawal.
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_topstories/~3/3z3HWlm4uS4/h_8df4616257ffdc90f7419102a300e7b6
