Yahoo Finance Olympian Dominique Moceanu: Simone Biles is demonstrating agency I never felt I had
Following Simone Biles' surprising withdrawal from both Tuesday's women's gymnastics team final and Thursday's individual all-around, former 'Magnificent 7' gymnast and Olympian Dominique Moceanu shared her support for Biles' decision — a choice Moceanu said she would have never been free enough to make.
"[Simone Biles'] decision demonstrates that we have a say in our own health — 'a say' I never felt I had as an Olympian," Moceanu tweeted alongside video of an almost-devastating tumble she took during the 1996 Atlanta Games.
I was 14 y/o w/ a tibial stress fracture, left alone w/ no cervical spine exam after this fall. I competed in the Olympic floor final minutes later. @Simone_Biles 🤍 decision demonstrates that we have a say in our own health—“a say” I NEVER felt I had as an Olympian. pic.twitter.com/LVdghdAh1g
— Dominique Moceanu (@Dmoceanu) July 28, 2021
Other gymnasts have pointed out the difficulty of the vault that nearly bested Biles on Tuesday, adding that she could have ended up seriously injured were she not so skilled.
Most non-gymnastics fans do not understand the seriousness of what happened because she landed on her feet. Every elite gymnast I’ve talked to has said that Simone Biles’s vault was TERRIFYING and it’s a miracle she put that vault to her feet & avoided seriously injuring herself.
— Deanna Hong (@DeannaHong) July 28, 2021
From #AndreaOrris on @Simone_Biles pic.twitter.com/ZKk6ipn44C
— Michelle Li (@MichelleLiTV) July 28, 2021
Biles has since explained she was "second guessing myself" and "didn't want to go out there and do something dumb and get hurt." Suffering from "the twisties" after her vault, Biles thought it best to instead "let the girls do it." Athletes have rallied behind her.
You may also like
Why Tom Brady's 'gentle' roast of Trump at Biden's White House was actually 'deeply vicious'
Louisiana congressman says he has COVID-19 for the 2nd time
Adam Kinzinger accepts place on Jan. 6 committee: 'When duty calls, I will always answer'
