Tokyo Olympics: The Thread (OPEN SPOILERS, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!!!)
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The whole wearing a "GOAT" on her outfit as well as her arrogant interviews where she said she was basically unbeatable makes me McKayla Maroney face at this whole ordeal but I'll give her a pass as someone who has dealt with anxiety himself, I know how overbearing it can be.
That's not even getting into the disgusting acts by Nassar and everyone that turned a blind eye to it.
That's not even getting into the disgusting acts by Nassar and everyone that turned a blind eye to it.
Biles has withdrawn from the All-Around.
She will be replaced by Carey
This poses an interesting question: If Biles pulls out of the events finals too, does that mean they’ll fly Skinner back to Tokyo for Vault and Floor?
EDIT: Skinner is evidently still in Tokyo. Initial reports were she had to leave within 48 hours due to strict COVID protocols after failing to qualify for an event final.
She will be replaced by Carey
This poses an interesting question: If Biles pulls out of the events finals too, does that mean they’ll fly Skinner back to Tokyo for Vault and Floor?
EDIT: Skinner is evidently still in Tokyo. Initial reports were she had to leave within 48 hours due to strict COVID protocols after failing to qualify for an event final.
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For those of you who may still be confused as to what Biles is trying to overcome right now, this offers a good summation.
https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/amp/what-are-the-twisties
https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/amp/what-are-the-twisties
At the risk of derailing the thread (again), I do like how the new rules regarding NIL are going to allow Lydia Jacoby to get paid. Olympians have a very small window to capitalize on their Olympic notoriety, and it would be total BS if Jacoby had to forfeit that entire window, because she was enrolled at Stanford, or something.
EDIT - Doctor Internet informs me that Lydia Jacoby has committed to the University of Texas.
EDIT - Doctor Internet informs me that Lydia Jacoby has committed to the University of Texas.
The two best times for a US Olympic medalist to capitalize (read: monetize) on their Olympic success are immediately before, and immediately after, the Olympics. Previously (read: until about six weeks ago), NCAA rules prevented student athletes from doing so, which forced Olympic medalists who were in college, or not yet enrolled, to choose between forgoing college/dropping out of school, or playing for free, and forfeiting what may be the best (perhaps only) chance they would ever have in their lifetimes to cash in on their Olympic success.
Thank you both for the answers!
Even though the rules are the same for everyone in the NCAA whether you are from the States or other continent, I'm really curious what about the money they earn from their government for the Olympic result? Is NCAA gonna allow that to happen?
I'm gonna explain this. So in Latvia, if the athlete/s finishes in the top 6, our government pays them out money reward for their high result. For example 3x3 basketball players who won the gold yesterday will get from the government in bonuses each a little bit over 100 000 euros (around 120 thousand US$).
Why it is interesting to me, because beach voleyball players have a shot to make it in the Top 6, in my opinion.
Even though the rules are the same for everyone in the NCAA whether you are from the States or other continent, I'm really curious what about the money they earn from their government for the Olympic result? Is NCAA gonna allow that to happen?
I'm gonna explain this. So in Latvia, if the athlete/s finishes in the top 6, our government pays them out money reward for their high result. For example 3x3 basketball players who won the gold yesterday will get from the government in bonuses each a little bit over 100 000 euros (around 120 thousand US$).
Why it is interesting to me, because beach voleyball players have a shot to make it in the Top 6, in my opinion.
As far as I know the NCAA rule changes center only around Name, Image and Likeness, so I don't think an athlete can actually be paid directly and maintain eligibility - I suppose in addition to Olympics that would mostly benefit soccer players who join pro academies and wash out without ever making the senior clubs. We have a female soccer player in Portland who was prohibited from signing with the Thorns because of her age and she took that to the courts and was eventually allowed to sign a pro contract, but she had already given up her college scholarship (it was either Stanford or UNC) to sign a million dollar deal with Nike. Had these rules been changed beforehand she could have chosen the Nike deal and to attend Stanford which would be pretty frickin awesome for a 14 year old to already have that locked down.
Well, Allyson Felix technically hadn't competed in the Olympics yet, at the time, but she forfeit her collegiate eligibility, to get paid by Adidas, because she knew that's where she was headed.
I don't know about dumping a scholarship, but Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes both deferred college, until they were older, in order to capitalize on their success. And Kerri Strug was ruled ineligible to compete in collegiate gymnastics, because she did monetize her fame. Gabby Douglas' collegiate status is not known (or else, I'm not looking hard enough), but she definitely competed for money at least once, between the ages of 18 and 22. After London, Aly Raisman enrolled in a college that does not have a gymnastics program, and made no attempt to pursue collegiate eligibility, as she pursued a professional career.
Katie Ledecky comes from family money, and I vaguely recall an interview where she more or less admitted that that was the only reason why she didn't take money.
I don't know about dumping a scholarship, but Shannon Miller and Dominique Dawes both deferred college, until they were older, in order to capitalize on their success. And Kerri Strug was ruled ineligible to compete in collegiate gymnastics, because she did monetize her fame. Gabby Douglas' collegiate status is not known (or else, I'm not looking hard enough), but she definitely competed for money at least once, between the ages of 18 and 22. After London, Aly Raisman enrolled in a college that does not have a gymnastics program, and made no attempt to pursue collegiate eligibility, as she pursued a professional career.
Katie Ledecky comes from family money, and I vaguely recall an interview where she more or less admitted that that was the only reason why she didn't take money.
I sneaked down to check the status of the all-around at 4 am (newborn) and saw she was in fourth after the first rotation on vault. That’s been an issue even before her ankle injury, so placing that high made me like her chances.
But this turned into an absolute dogfight, and Lee stepped up to the challenge at every turn. She posted a phenomenal score on uneven bars (her best event), and stayed steady on beam, even after a shaky wolf turn, giving her the slimmest of leads heading into floor.
Going in, I thought she’d need a sizable cushion before floor to maintain the lead, because she only added a fourth tumbling pass to her routine after Trials due to that injury. But she nailed that set too and earned herself, her team, and her country that gold medal.
Much respect to Andrade who had to travel to Tokyo without a team, and is the first woman ever to win a medal of any kind in artistic gymnastics for Brazil. A well earned silver for her.
But this turned into an absolute dogfight, and Lee stepped up to the challenge at every turn. She posted a phenomenal score on uneven bars (her best event), and stayed steady on beam, even after a shaky wolf turn, giving her the slimmest of leads heading into floor.
Going in, I thought she’d need a sizable cushion before floor to maintain the lead, because she only added a fourth tumbling pass to her routine after Trials due to that injury. But she nailed that set too and earned herself, her team, and her country that gold medal.
Much respect to Andrade who had to travel to Tokyo without a team, and is the first woman ever to win a medal of any kind in artistic gymnastics for Brazil. A well earned silver for her.
Looking less and less likely Biles is going to be able to go for the events finals. She posted to Instagram that she is still experiencing “the twisties” on all four events.
USAToday: Biles Struggling in Practice
She’d be replaced by Skinner on vault, but contrary to what I said earlier, no one else on the team scored high enough in qualifiers to take her place on bars, floor, and beam.
USAToday: Biles Struggling in Practice
She’d be replaced by Skinner on vault, but contrary to what I said earlier, no one else on the team scored high enough in qualifiers to take her place on bars, floor, and beam.
An underacknowledged aspect of Biles' withdrawal from the All-Around is how it ratcheted up the intensity of the competition. All 24 competitors were locked in, because they realized that they suddenly had a shot at gold. Curious and excited to see whether that energy is reflected in the events finals, as well?