Simon Biles aims to write more history at gymnastics worlds

STUTTGART, Germany — Simone Biles has already written her name into gymnastics history many times over. A few more times won’t hurt, though.

At the upcoming world championships in Germany, Biles can break the record for most medals won by any gymnast. More than that, she can write herself into the sport’s Code of Points forever.

Biles showed off her triple-twisting double-flip — the triple-double for short — when winning the U.S. title in August. If she lands it at worlds, it will go in the Code as “the Biles.” The same goes for her double-double beam dismount.

“Getting the skills named after me is really exciting, just to go out there and prove to myself that I can do them, especially under all of the pressure that will be there that night,” Biles said Tuesday. “I feel like putting my name on a skill is really rewarding just because it’ll be in the Code forever as well as the medals. It’s something that I can hold onto just because I’m the one that did it first, so it’s really exciting.”

Biles already has two skills in the Code, a floor exercise element from 2013 and a vault from last year’s world championships.

Biles goes to the championships tied with Russian Svetlana Khorkina for the most medals won by a woman with 20, and could also surpass Vitaly Scherbo’s record of 23 for the most medals by any gymnast.

It’s the last major championships before next year’s Olympics in Tokyo. With household names like track star Usain Bolt and swimming great Michael Phelps having retired since the last Olympics in Tokyo, she’ll be one of the Games’ undeniable standouts.

But she doesn’t want to think about that.

“I feel like if I were to label myself as a superstar, it would bring more expectations on me,” she said. “I would feel pressured, more in the limelight, rather than now. I just go out there and compete, try to represent Simone, not Simone Biles, whenever I go out there because at the end of the day I’m still a human being before I’m ‘Simone Biles the Superstar.'”

source: sports.inquirer.net

PSA: Female Olympians Wear Makeup for Self-Expression

Two commentators Mark Simone and Bo Dietl debated about the looks of female Olympians like Simone Biles and Simone Manuel instead of talking about their success and achievements. You totally missed the mark, Fox News.

Every second of that video made me cringe as I watched two men talk about women’s physical appearance and they even asked the male Olympians like Michael Phelps to do the same—look good when you accept that medal.

“The whole point of the Olympics, the whole reason for this training, for this work to get there, is product endorsements,” said Mark. It did not stop there, Bo added fuel to the flame by talking about zits on their faces and saying, “I like to see a person who wins that gold medal go up there and look beautiful.” As if their medals and record-breaking performance are not enough.

To clarify, female athletes who choose to wear makeup do it because they want to, because they are empowered and they feel much more confident—and there is nothing wrong with that. But if one chooses not to do it, do not give them flak.

The Fox News segment was based on the piece published on USA Today and I suggest you read that instead of listening to those two men.

[Nylon]

 Photo by Ben Stansall for AFP

source: preen.inquirer.net