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Don’t Punish Simone Biles for Being the Best Don’t Punish Simone Biles for Being the Best
(about 20 hours later)
This article has been updated to reflect news developments.
Simone Biles is fantastic for the sport of gymnastics. She smiles when she’s happy, but won’t be shamed into doing so when she isn’t. She is thrilled by the success of her teammates. She’s not afraid to share that she has a social life, including a supportive boyfriend. She’s candid about her personal struggles.Simone Biles is fantastic for the sport of gymnastics. She smiles when she’s happy, but won’t be shamed into doing so when she isn’t. She is thrilled by the success of her teammates. She’s not afraid to share that she has a social life, including a supportive boyfriend. She’s candid about her personal struggles.
But what makes her exceptional is her seemingly superhuman gymnastics — she pulls off skills that are unfathomable to her competitors. Barring major mistakes or injury, Biles is basically guaranteed on Thursday to win her 22nd world championship medal. She has dominated gymnastics for the past six years, winning the Olympics in Rio in 2016, and four world championships all-around golds starting in 2013, with her fifth expected Thursday. But what makes her exceptional is her seemingly superhuman gymnastics — she pulls off skills that are unfathomable to her competitors. She has dominated gymnastics for the past six years. She won the Olympics in Rio in 2016, and on Thursday, she won her fifth all-around world championship gold, and her 22nd world championship medal.
Her routines have unmatched difficulty and execution, and she was the only woman to qualify for all four event finals at the championships, being held in Stuttgart, Germany. But the difficulty value awarded last week to a her new beam dismount — a double twisting double back (two flips and two twists) — is causing controversy.Her routines have unmatched difficulty and execution, and she was the only woman to qualify for all four event finals at the championships, being held in Stuttgart, Germany. But the difficulty value awarded last week to a her new beam dismount — a double twisting double back (two flips and two twists) — is causing controversy.
This particular move is exceptionally hard — so difficult that it is rare to see women attempt it during a floor routine, where they can get a running start on a spring-loaded floor, much less off a four-inch-wide beam. Daniela Silivas of Romania had the floor version of the move named after her in 1988. Biles is the first to complete it as a beam dismount in a world championship or Olympics, which means that the beam version is now called the “Biles.”This particular move is exceptionally hard — so difficult that it is rare to see women attempt it during a floor routine, where they can get a running start on a spring-loaded floor, much less off a four-inch-wide beam. Daniela Silivas of Romania had the floor version of the move named after her in 1988. Biles is the first to complete it as a beam dismount in a world championship or Olympics, which means that the beam version is now called the “Biles.”
Despite the 31-year gap in the skill being performed on floor and beam — a good indication of how much harder it is to perform on the latter — the international gymnastics federation last week deemed the Biles dismount a mere “H” skill, the same value as on floor. It also valued it at only one tenth higher than the much easier (though still incredibly difficult for the rest of the world) full twisting double back, which is two flips and one twist. That move is classified as a “G” skill on beam, but only an “E” on floor.Despite the 31-year gap in the skill being performed on floor and beam — a good indication of how much harder it is to perform on the latter — the international gymnastics federation last week deemed the Biles dismount a mere “H” skill, the same value as on floor. It also valued it at only one tenth higher than the much easier (though still incredibly difficult for the rest of the world) full twisting double back, which is two flips and one twist. That move is classified as a “G” skill on beam, but only an “E” on floor.
Biles expressed her disagreement on Twitter, as did many others. After the pushback, the federation released a statement justifying the decision by its women’s technical committee, saying, “In assigning values to the new elements, the W.T.C. takes into consideration many different aspects: the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline.” Further, it said, “The W.T.C.’s task is to ensure the safety of all athletes around the world and decisions are not based purely on one gymnast.”Biles expressed her disagreement on Twitter, as did many others. After the pushback, the federation released a statement justifying the decision by its women’s technical committee, saying, “In assigning values to the new elements, the W.T.C. takes into consideration many different aspects: the risk, the safety of the gymnasts and the technical direction of the discipline.” Further, it said, “The W.T.C.’s task is to ensure the safety of all athletes around the world and decisions are not based purely on one gymnast.”
The message: Other gymnasts won’t be able to do this without hurting themselves, so we’re minimizing the incentive for them to try.The message: Other gymnasts won’t be able to do this without hurting themselves, so we’re minimizing the incentive for them to try.
There is some precedent for this: The statement cited a previous downgrading in value of the Produnova vault, a handspring with a double front tuck. This is particularly dangerous because gymnasts can’t see the floor as they land. But Biles’s new dismount does not have such a landing.There is some precedent for this: The statement cited a previous downgrading in value of the Produnova vault, a handspring with a double front tuck. This is particularly dangerous because gymnasts can’t see the floor as they land. But Biles’s new dismount does not have such a landing.
In short, the federation statement reeks of paternalism and hypocrisy. Just as Usain Bolt toppled records for speed, gymnasts are always pushing past the boundaries of what is thought possible. In 1976, Nadia Comaneci dismounted the beam with what today would be a laughably simple double twist, receiving a perfect 10 (displayed as a 1.0 because the scoreboard wasn’t equipped to show 10.0). In 1992, Tatiana Lysenko won Olympic gold for a beam routine ending with a double back flip — no twists. Shawn Johnson triumphed in Beijing in 2008 with a dismount that had one fewer twist than Biles’s new move.In short, the federation statement reeks of paternalism and hypocrisy. Just as Usain Bolt toppled records for speed, gymnasts are always pushing past the boundaries of what is thought possible. In 1976, Nadia Comaneci dismounted the beam with what today would be a laughably simple double twist, receiving a perfect 10 (displayed as a 1.0 because the scoreboard wasn’t equipped to show 10.0). In 1992, Tatiana Lysenko won Olympic gold for a beam routine ending with a double back flip — no twists. Shawn Johnson triumphed in Beijing in 2008 with a dismount that had one fewer twist than Biles’s new move.
That’s not to say that safety should not be a consideration. Coaches are allowed to “spot” gymnasts for release moves on uneven bars, and that’s a good thing. But here’s something that would benefit gymnasts and spectators alike: allowing gymnasts a quick warm-up on the equipment in the arena just minutes before they compete in the finals, as occurs in the earlier rounds. Event finals feature many of the best gymnasts, with among the hardest routines, yet they can’t warm up on the actual equipment they compete on.That’s not to say that safety should not be a consideration. Coaches are allowed to “spot” gymnasts for release moves on uneven bars, and that’s a good thing. But here’s something that would benefit gymnasts and spectators alike: allowing gymnasts a quick warm-up on the equipment in the arena just minutes before they compete in the finals, as occurs in the earlier rounds. Event finals feature many of the best gymnasts, with among the hardest routines, yet they can’t warm up on the actual equipment they compete on.
And if safety were the top priority, the international gymnastics federation would allow Danusia Francis of Jamaica an additional mat during her beam routine. Unlike most gymnasts, who dismount onto a thick mat at the end of the beam, Francis performs a sideways flip from the beam’s center, where the mat is shorter.And if safety were the top priority, the international gymnastics federation would allow Danusia Francis of Jamaica an additional mat during her beam routine. Unlike most gymnasts, who dismount onto a thick mat at the end of the beam, Francis performs a sideways flip from the beam’s center, where the mat is shorter.
Rather than depressing the difficulty value, a better way to discourage gymnasts from performing difficult elements that they are not capable of competing safely would be to take larger deductions for poor execution. Gymnasts who are not as powerful as Biles do things like “cowboying” (spreading their legs to help them rotate) or landing with their chest low to the ground. Punish those mistakes more harshly instead of punishing Biles, who executes her new dismount with ease.Rather than depressing the difficulty value, a better way to discourage gymnasts from performing difficult elements that they are not capable of competing safely would be to take larger deductions for poor execution. Gymnasts who are not as powerful as Biles do things like “cowboying” (spreading their legs to help them rotate) or landing with their chest low to the ground. Punish those mistakes more harshly instead of punishing Biles, who executes her new dismount with ease.
Fortunately for her fans, and for continued innovation in gymnastics, Biles has been undeterred by this lowballing of her difficulty value. Still, it rankles.Fortunately for her fans, and for continued innovation in gymnastics, Biles has been undeterred by this lowballing of her difficulty value. Still, it rankles.
“They keep asking us to do more difficulty and to give more artistry, give more harder skills. So we do, and then they don’t credit it, and I don’t think that’s fair,” she said in an interview with NBC Sports. “Am I in a league of my own? Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t credit me for what I’m doing.”“They keep asking us to do more difficulty and to give more artistry, give more harder skills. So we do, and then they don’t credit it, and I don’t think that’s fair,” she said in an interview with NBC Sports. “Am I in a league of my own? Yes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t credit me for what I’m doing.”
Liriel Higa (@iDiplomacy), a staff editor in the Times Opinion section, was a rhythmic gymnast on the United States national team from 1994 to 1998.Liriel Higa (@iDiplomacy), a staff editor in the Times Opinion section, was a rhythmic gymnast on the United States national team from 1994 to 1998.
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