Sports and Gender by

Simone Biles

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:04:30 UTC

Simone Biles is known to be the best gymnast in history. She is an eleven-time Olympic Medalist, making her the most decorated gymnast ever. She discusses her journey through her career in her Netflix documentary, Simone Biles Rising.

What is valued in gymnastics?

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:09:02 UTC

Gymnastics, as a sport, tends to place value on difficulty of skills, artistry, and requirements in routines. Gymnasts are scored based on Difficulty (D-Score), Execution (E-Score), and the code of points.

Impact of Gender

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:30:16 UTC

You may notice the impacts of gender in sports when you view women's gymnastics alongside any male dominated sports. This documentary addresses the struggles of Simone as she ages and how much negative feedback she received for leaving the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Simone suffered from a condition that gymnasts call the "twisties" where you lose your awareness of your position when turning in the air. It is extremely dangerous and other gymnasts discuss how terrifying it is as an experience. However, I did notice that she received a large amount of hate for deciding to leave mid-competition, with the general public insisting she could have done better and continued the competition. Comparing this to male dominated sports, I have noticed that male athletes will become injured and nobody doubts them. Of course there are exceptions to this, but generally speaking, they are taken at their word when they are injured. Additionally, there is this pressure on Simone to be the greatest in history and she has proven that she is for years; yet the moment she has an issue, all she has done is diminished.

Challenges

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:37:21 UTC

In regards to gender, Simone and other gymnasts had many difficulties and traumas in their field. For example, there was a lawsuit against Larry Nassar for sexually assaulting more than 500 women in the sport. This ended in a 380-million dollar settlement and has continued to affect those who were victims.

Possible Gendered Misconceptions

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:44:46 UTC

How you physically appear and how you present yourself is truly emphasized in gymnastics. For example, Simone has received constant critiques about her hair, even when she breaks world records. However, her male counterparts do not face the same criticisms. This could be attributed to both gender and race, with many expressing that her hair is not the standard straight and blonde hair they would like to see. They describe her hair as looking crunchy and unhealthy when in reality, this has nothing to do with what she has accomplished and merely shows the ignorance of others.

Gymnastics

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:49:44 UTC

I played this sport when I was a child and continued to enjoy watching it as I got older. Gender impacted my experience because I was amazed to see so many powerful women known for their strength and artistry simultaneously. I was always in awe of gymnasts; the art and power that pulses through the veins of those who dominate the sport is truly inspiring. The toll in takes on you physically and mentally is something that not many understand. Dedicating your life to such a difficult career that is so demanding is inspirational and encouraging for young girls who may feel helpless or powerless.

Medals

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:54:19 UTC

Simone Biles has 37 "World's and Olympic medals"

Olympics

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:57:49 UTC

Simone Biles was 19 years old at her first Olympic games.

Fun Fact

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 22:59:51 UTC

Simone Biles, who is 4'8", can jump up to 12 feet in the air in her floor routines.

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:01:26 UTC

Wins

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:02:39 UTC

11 Olympic Medials:

7x Gold

2x Silver

2x Bronze

30 World Championship Medals:

23x Gold

4x Silver

3x Bronze

Mental Health

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:10:16 UTC

Since her resigning from the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles has become an outspoken advocate for mental health. As mentioned previously, she was suffering from the "twisties" which, according to one of her coaches, is almost always a mental blockage, not a physical injury. This reality sparked controversy among fans who thought she should have continued through her struggles, not realizing how dangerous her situation was. When performing moves with a high-level difficulty, if your mind is not in the correct place, you may suffer terrible injuries. Now, Biles is constantly advocating for mental health and its importance in gymnastics as well as any other setting. She believes that if your mind is not healthy, your body cannot be fully healthy.

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:11:10 UTC

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:11:49 UTC

m559mxzq7q — 2025-03-25 23:12:06 UTC