By now, everyone is aware that Simone Biles, the much admired and loved star of world-class gymnastics and of the 2020 Olympics, decided to withdraw from the team competition earlier this week. The USA team subsequently went on to win the Silver medal.
Most of the media have used headlines like these, which all emphasize the words mental health or mental illness -
It paints a sympathetic but rather inaccurate and misleading picture of what is happening with Simone Biles, which is an issue quite common in the world of high performance sports.
The Washington Post and few other media outlets have posted some more in-depth analysis of the issue, something we all can understand and relate to; perhaps some of us have experienced something similar, even though we are not world-class athletes competing at levels beyond our imaginations.
This insightful article by Emily Giambalvo at the Washington Post is extremely well-written, but may not be accessible for those without a subscription. It describes what is known in the gymnastics world as the “twisties.”
Here are some excerpts from the article -
The cute-sounding term, well-known in the gymnastics community, describes a frightening predicament. When gymnasts have the “twisties,” they lose control of their bodies as they spin through the air. Sometimes they twist when they hadn’t planned to. Other times they stop midway through, as Biles did. And after experiencing the twisties once, it’s very difficult to forget. Instinct gets replaced by thought. Thought quickly leads to worry. Worry is difficult to escape.
“Simply, your life is in danger when you’re doing gymnastics,” said Sean Melton, a former elite gymnast who dealt with the twisties through his entire career. “And then, when you add this unknown of not being able to control your body while doing these extremely dangerous skills, it adds an extreme level of stress. And it’s terrifying, honestly, because you have no idea what is going to happen.”
The twisties are essentially like the yips in other sports. But in gymnastics, the phenomenon affects the athletes when they’re in the air, so the mind-body disconnect can be dangerous, even for someone of Biles’s caliber.
Simone had shown signs of hesitation and faltering during practice last week. In the Olympic team final, Biles planned to perform a 2½-twisting vault, but she shortened it to just 1½ twists instead, which cost the team a few tenths of a point. Subsequently, she withdrew from the team competition stating that she would be a drag on the team with her drop in mental fortitude.
Biles later described her mental health challenges as going beyond gymnastics, with roots in the overwhelming pressure to perform and the high expectations we all have of her and in the stresses of the pandemic year. These athletes train and perform for hours at end, day in and day out, starting at a very young age, focused on just one thing. And they have to be at 100+% physical strength and mental acumen 100% of the time to win against world-class competition. The mental pressure on these young minds is enormous. Sometimes, things break. Sometimes, the mind interferes and reminds them that what they are doing is extremely dangerous. And quite often, they heal and bounce right back.
According to olympics.com/…, twisties are not uncommon, not even for Simone -
The twisties are an issue Biles has faced before, including in the lead up to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and prior to the 2019 season.
Biles’ 2016 Olympic teammate Laurie Hernandez explained that the twisties can set in when doing high level elements, typically on floor or vault, and it becomes difficult to compartmentalise the exact element a gymnast’s body is attempting.
“The rhythm is off, and your brain will like stutter step for half a second and that's enough to throw off the whole skill,” said Hernandez. “And, so, it happens, and it takes a second to get over that.”
Hernandez agreed that twisties can spiral, causing an athlete to doubt herself at a high level.
www.cnn.com/… has an insightful article on the subject as well -
Gymnastics is obviously physically demanding with a high injury rate. But it is extremely difficult psychologically as well. Many of the skills could kill you. When Kevin Durant's foot was off by an inch in Game 7 of the NBA's Eastern Conference semifinals, his shot was worth two points instead of three, and the Brooklyn Nets lost in overtime. When Riley McCusker's foot was off by an inch on her beam dismount at the 2017 American Cup, she slammed backward onto her neck and then rolled over it.
When Simone Biles scratched most of the Olympic team final, she said it was not because of a physical injury, but her mental health. This doesn't mean she felt sad, or didn't have her heart in it to compete. It means that her psychological state put her at significant physical risk. If her brain wouldn't play along with what her body knows how to do, she could be seriously injured.
It’s also heartwarming to see her teammates and coaching staff so supportive of her decision. In earlier times, that would not have been the case, when athletes would be pushed beyond their limits in the pursuit of fame and medals for coaches and countries.
This is what Simone is capable of. One gets vertigo just watching her. It is dangerous.
Epilogue
As expected, right-wing world, steeped in racism and sexism, and hatred for all things noble in this world, are attacking Simone Biles on social media. I will not report on any of their monstrous words. Let’s not let them get away with it, let’s make sure everyone understand what “twisties” are and how they affect athletes.
Simone is not a quitter. She has dominated this sport like no other. She knows how to handle pressure and push her skills beyond the limit. She is the gymnast with the most World medals (25) and most World gold medals (19). She stepped aside to help her team. Hopefully, she will be back for other events at these Olympics. Even if she does not, team USA will carry on, with Simone cheering on the sideline. Her legacy will not be diminished.
Hopefully, this will shine a spotlight on how mental strength is such an important part of sports and it needs as much training and nurturing as the physical training. Let’s not forget, they are humans.
Have you experienced such episodes in your life — in competitive or casual sports? How about in non-sports aspects of your life and profession?
A broader question many have asked is whether it is appropriate for a civilized society to subject so many of its young ones to dangerous sports, where many suffer serious injuries, physical and mental, in their short careers? Should gymnastics and other high-risk sports be made safer? How? Should we stop pushing the limits of the human body?
A thank-you note from Simone Biles -