JD Vance labeled Simone Biles “weak” after she withdrew from the Tokyo Olympics - but the American legend returned to form in style by clinching gold in the all-around gymnastics in Paris.
Biles , hailed as one of the greatest gymnasts ever, now boasts nine Olympic medals - including six golds. She holds the record for the most Olympic medals won by a U.S. gymnast.
But back in 2021 during the Covid-affected Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew after suffering from “the twisties”, a condition that causes a temporary loss of spatial awareness during twisting maneuvers. Her decision sparked a wide-ranging and intense public conversation about mental health and how it affects even the greatest athletes.
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Vance , before he was Donald Trump’s running mate in the upcoming election, weighed in on the story when it broke. His comments have since resurfaced after Biles made a spectacular Olympics return in Paris .
“I think, obviously, it's understandable that she was going through an incredible amount of pressure,” Vance said three years ago. “What I find so weird about this, and it reflects on the media more than it does on Simone Biles, is that we've tried to turn a very tragic moment - Simone Biles quitting the Olympic team - into this act of heroism.
“And I think it reflects pretty poorly on our sort of therapeutic society that we try to praise people not for moments of strength, not for moments of heroism, but for their weakest moments.”
Vance added: “Being an athlete at that level is incredibly tough... a normal response in this moment would be to say: ’It’s just a shame that she’s going through this. It’s a shame that she quit’.
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“But instead, what our press has done, I think, is turn this into this weird therapeutic moment. ‘Let’s praise her for doing this’. And I think that’s really where the problem herein lies.”
With two gold medals in these Games, Biles has become the most decorated Olympic gymnast of all time. On Thursday, Biles won the all-around gymnastics title for her sixth career Olympic gold to become the oldest winner of her sport's blue-riband event for 72 years.
Biles put on a sparkly goat necklace while celebrating. She said: “It's a little ode... a lot of people love it. They always call me the GOAT, so I thought it would be really special if I got one made. The haters hate it, but I like that even more. It's just a special part of me that I have here.
“In the [athletes'] village I have a stuffed goat. Just to get a reminder, like 'You can go out there, you can do it. You've done it before. So let's go’.”
Brazil's Rebeca Andrade claimed silver at the Bercy Arena, with defending champion Sunisa Lee taking bronze.
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