While the reaction to the gymnast’s withdrawal was broadly positive, familiar faultlines also emerged in the aftermath
Two days ago, when it was impossible to imagine Simone Biles would pull out of the Olympics team competition – and then later the all-around – it would have nonetheless been easy to predict the reaction in the United States. And, as with so many things in America, opinion was often divided along political lines.
The immediate reaction was overwhelmingly positive. USA Today called Biles’ decision “important” and a “powerful message”. The New York Times lauded the 24-year-old for putting her “mental health first and the expectations of others, at best, second”. And after Biles spoke about the mental exhaustion endemic to being the best, the Washington Post asked, “What are we doing, breaking our athletes?”
