Sports

Simone Biles Is Stepping Into The Olympic Spotlight Again. She Is Better Prepared For The Pressure

Published

6 months ago

2024-05-16

Simone Biles: AP Image

Spring, Texas – Simone Biles isn’t “cured.” Let’s start there. A cure indicates finality. The ultimate and final victory. If the gymnastics superstar had learned anything in the three years since those odd, unsure days in Tokyo when she prioritized her mental health and personal safety over her chase of additional Olympic gold, it is that the battle to defend oneself never truly ends. Only partially won.

It’s a lesson she learned in front of the entire world in Japan when Biles arrived as the face of the Summer Games only to withdraw from many competitions, including the team final because her body just stopped doing what her brain told it to do.

At that moment, Biles blamed “the twisties.” On the surface, she was correct. However, they emerged from something deeper and more difficult to define.

“She can’t even explain it (and) the doctors she sees probably can’t either,” said Laurent Landi, who has been coaching Biles with his wife Cecile since 2017. “It was a traumatic event that occurred at a horrible moment for her, and she was unable to deal with it. It’s as simple as this. She couldn’t function. “She couldn’t be a gymnast at the time.”

She can now, but the journey to this point — Biles will compete for the first time in 2024 at this weekend’s U.S. Classic — has been rough. It has taken a new perspective, at times a literal mother’s touch, and ongoing attention to work on herself, which she now realizes has no expiration date.

Biles tried to take all of the extra attention before Tokyo in stride. She portrayed a sense of normalcy. It was only a facade. Her pent-up emotions and aggressions eventually drove her to “crack.”

Biles was in therapy before Tokyo but had interrupted treatment before traveling abroad. With millions watching, she went off the floor at the Ariake Gymnastics Center after a misplaced vault in the women’s team final and contacted her family, who had stayed from home in Texas because of COVID-19 restrictions imposed for the games.

Simone Biles: AP Image

Simone Biles Is Stepping Into The Olympic Spotlight Again. She Is Better Prepared For The Pressure

Nellie Biles answered the phone and heard her daughter exclaim through tears, “Mom, I really cannot do this.” “I’m lost; I can’t do this.”

So she didn’t. Biles withdrew from a few finals before returning to win bronze on the balance beam, a medal she considers one of the most meaningful of her career. As terrible and frightening as the experience was, it was necessary because it taught Biles that mental health is something she cannot ignore.

“I couldn’t run away from it, you know,” Biles told The Associated Press. “I just acknowledged it and stated, ‘Hey, this is what I’m going through. This is the assistance that I am going to receive.”

Help has driven Biles back to the top of her sport, with another Olympics on the horizon. Help manifests itself in various ways and often from unexpected locations

Biles is confident she is in a better place this time, thanks partly to weekly Thursday meetings with her therapist, which have become an immovable part of her schedule.

Biles went into a practically empty arena last fall in Antwerp, Belgium, for podium training before the world championships, her first team competition since Tokyo. Something about the scene triggered, as Nellie Biles describes it, “a PTSD moment.” Biles dashed off the floor to gather herself after being triggered by an unexpected event.

There were more tears. Increased anxiety. More calls. More reassurance.

“She almost didn’t go back out there,” Nellie Biles explained.

After being “a little bit hesitant,” Biles pushed through, thanks in part to the decision to meet with her therapist, which she rarely did close to competitions before commencing practice for the U.S. Classic in Chicago last summer

The US women were given the afternoon off, and some went to a chocolate factory. Biles opted to remain behind and FaceTime her therapist instead.

“I know how important it is for me to stay present, mindful and not be too anxious,” she stated. “So yes, we will keep that up.”

There were other home comforts in Belgium. Specifically, her family.

Every day, Nellie Biles went to Simone’s hotel room and braided her daughter’s hair for 30-45 minutes, which was a first.

“My daughter is (27) and I know (she) can braid her hair,” Nellie Biles remarked. “But it’s just that touch and closeness. It is that connectedness. It was just what she needed, and it worked.

The meet concluded in the same way that many others had during Biles’ decade-long reign at the top: with a fistful of medals packed in her suitcase for the return flight home, setting the stage for a potentially momentous Olympic year.

Before Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021, the idea of Olympic history threatened to—and occasionally did—overtake her.

Simone Biles: AP Image

Simone Biles Is Stepping Into The Olympic Spotlight Again. She Is Better Prepared For The Pressure

It does not anymore. Life has, thankfully, gotten in the way.

One year ago, Biles married Jonathan Owens, the current Chicago Bears safety. The two are constructing a home in the Houston suburbs that will be completed (hopefully) in late summer or early fall

In some ways, she resembles many other 20-something brides in Biles’ orbit. For example, former Olympic teammate MyKayla Skinner had a daughter last September. A part of Biles thinks, “That’s what I should be doing.”

Instead, she’s “still flipping out here,” still making her way to the Biles family’s gym, the World Champions Centre, and practicing with other Olympic hopefuls, many of whom are nearly a decade younger and grew up idolizing her.

Why does she keep putting herself through this? Well, that’s the most important issue of all.

“I think everything I’ve been through, I want to push the limits,” she stated. “I want to see how far I can get. I want to see what I’m still capable of so that when I retire from this sport, I can be fully satisfied with my career and say I gave it my best.”

She is well aware of what may happen this summer that the millions captivated by what happened in Tokyo — from the crowds who cheered her on to the social media haters who labeled her a quitter or worse — would tune in to see if she cracks again.

Those closest to Biles believe she is better prepared for whatever may arise

“She knows something like (Tokyo) can happen because it did happen,” Landi stated. “So it’s just like, ‘OK, I’m going to be careful, I’m going to follow the same protocol every time and then I’m going to avoid (the pitfalls)’ and that’s all you can do.”

Is it the last time? She will not say. That is too far ahead. She does not frequently use the phrases “Paris” or “Olympics” in her chats. This may appear to be purposeful, but it is not. It’s just something she does.

“It’s not like I think that ‘Olympics’ is a plague and I’m trying to avoid it or trying not to say it,” she stated. “I just think there are other things I have to get to before that.”

The U.S. Classic, which takes place this weekend in Connecticut, will feature 2020 Olympic champion Sunisa Lee and 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas. The United States Championships are later this month, and the Olympic Trials start in late June.

Simone Biles: AP Image

Simone Biles Is Stepping Into The Olympic Spotlight Again. She Is Better Prepared For The Pressure

One turn, routine, rotation, and encounter at a time. With all of her tools, including her therapist, at the ready.

“I feel very confident with where I’m at mentally and physically, that (Tokyo) is not going to happen again just because we have put in the work,” she stated.

There is also something greater at risk here: a message sent by Biles to others. It’s OK to not be OK. It is acceptable to make yourself vulnerable and to be open and truthful about the process, no matter how messy it becomes.

She says she’s lost track of how many people have told her, “Because of you, I’m getting the proper help that I deserve.”

It can be jarring in certain ways. She never intended to become the face of this movement, but it happened anyway.

If Biles retreats to Tokyo rather than face her troubles full on, those folks may lack the guts to ask for something they desperately need. That’s a blessing from the recent Olympics that far transcends any medal.

“As unfortunate as it (was) … it’s exciting because I know that by speaking out it’s helping other people,” Biles stated. “And that’s what I’ve always wanted to do, inside this sport and outside this sport.”

So, she’ll salute the judges on Saturday and return to the spotlight.

No, she has not been cured. She is better, though, even if she is still a work in progress, as are so many others who found the strength to say “me too” after witnessing the biggest star in the American Olympic movement open up about her troubles with so much at risk

This is the true lesson of Tokyo. It was vital, no matter how difficult it felt at the time.

“It’s good that it happened,” Biles stated. “Because I don’t think I would have got the proper help that I need (without it).”

SOURCE – (AP)

Sports

The Utah Hockey Club’s Net Scores The Opening Goal.

Published

2 months ago

2024-09-23

Salman Ahmad

(VOR News) – The Utah Hockey Club did not begin the season in the manner that they had planned to, despite the fact that they were playing their first game of the preseason on the ice.

The first goal that they scored at the beginning of the season was not the way that they had anticipated the season to begin.

Des Moines, Iowa, which is located in the state of Iowa, was the location of the first game played by the organisation that was once known as the Arizona Coyotes.

Specifically, the game will take place in the state of Iowa. Specifically, the game was developed in the state of Iowa, which was also the location where it was manufactured. The St. Louis Blues, who were the team that was competing for the championship.

We represented Utah in this particular game.

The penalty call was delayed, which resulted in Utah being required to remove their custodian in order to make room for an additional attacker. This was done in order to provide space for the additional attacker.

It was necessary to do this step in order to clear space for the attacker to move about a bit. Because of this, St. Louis was able to take the lead in the game with a score of 1-0 at the beginning of the second quarter.

This allowed them to gain control of the game. As the puck made its way down the ice and into the empty net of the opposition, the winger for Utah, Dylan Guenther, was unable to gain hold of it at the point, and he was also unable to catch up to it in time while it was falling. The disaster took place at this particular instant in time, which was the ideal time for it to take place that it did.

A defenseman with the Blues named Anton Malmstrom was given official credit for scoring the goal, and St. Louis “congratulated” Utah on scoring its first goal in the history of the team.

Malmstrom was given credit for Utah Scoring the goal.

The individual who was identified as the player who scored the goal was Malmstrom. It has been determined that Malmstrom is the individual who was responsible for scoring the goal. At the conclusion of the official investigation, it was determined that Malmstrom was the individual who was responsible for scoring the goal.

On the flip side, it would appear that yet another case of trolling was directed at the Blues. After the actual opening goal for Utah, which was scored by Michael Carcone a little more than six minutes later, Kevin Connauton added another goal later in the quarter to bring the score to a draw.

This brought the score to a tie. As a consequence of this, the score stayed tied. As a consequence of this turn of events, the score ended up being something like 2-2.

Guenther also made atonement for his prior transgressions by scoring a power-play marker that put Utah in the lead by a score of 3-2. This was a significant accomplishment for Guenther. As a consequence for his earlier misdeeds, Guenther was given this sentence.

Due to the fact that this achievement was achieved, Utah is currently in the position of being in the lead. It was on Friday that a signing took place, which ultimately led to the extension of Guenther’s contract for an additional eight years into the future. We have completed this extension.

Carcone scored his second goal of the game into an empty net, this time into the Blues’ net, during the final minute of the game. This would be his second goal of the game. Ultimately, this goal was the deciding factor in Utah’s victory, which was officially recorded as a 5-3 score.

It was generally agreed that Carcone’s goal was the one that clinched the victory. The final goal of the contest was scored by Carcone, who scored the game’s decisive goal. Utah was able to win the game and take home the victory as a result of Carcone’s goal, which was the goal that ultimately decided the outcome of the game.

However, despite the fact that the situation had already beyond the point of no return, the social administrator for the Blues was still able to successfully extract the last laugh from it. His efforts were successful.

SOURCE: SN

Sports

No Panic for Patrick Mahomes and The Chiefs After Another Quiet Travis Kelce game.

Published

2 months ago

2024-09-23

Salman Ahmad

(VOR News) – Nine times in the passing game was Travis Kelce, a tight end with the Kansas City Chiefs, targeted when he debuted in the 2023 season.

He did, however, only finish with four receptions for 26 yards and a touchdown overall. He responded the next week with seven receptions for 69 yards, the Chiefs adding another score to his record and thus allaying some of the worries of some who were on the sidelines looking in.

Kelce’s third consecutive week of poor performance marked the end of his third game of the 2024–25 season.

Two days before the year ended, this Chiefs event occurred.

Although his four receptions and thirty yards are all season highs, if they had been attained concurrently they would have been among his worst efforts from the previous season.

Once more on Sunday’s triumph over the Atlanta Falcons, a sluggish effort from the offense was evident; Kelce was not an exception to this rule. While this is the case, quarterback for Chiefs Patrick Mahomes thinks the most important symbol of respect is Kelce’s receiving less than a month away from his 35th birthday.

“I mean it’s crazy since teams are still… the respect factor Travis has is just unreal,” Mahomes said to reporters. “It is well-deserved, but we are calling a lot of plays for Travis, and it seems like just two or three people are going to him,” the spokesman added. He understands this clearly.

His desire to win at the end of the day is, in my view, the most admirable trait about him; he is not simply interested in having an impact on the game. I shall give it top attention in the future to keep giving him the ball whenever he is there and on the pitch.

At the conclusion of Week 3, Kelce ranked second only to Rashee Rice in terms of targets, receptions, and yards by the pass among all Chiefs pass catchers. This shows Kelce has made notable advancements on the right path. The other man merely had 12 receptions and 14 targets; Rice had 14 targets and 12 receptions for 110 yards.

Their differences were quite considerable. As of right now this season, three games have been played; Kelce has not yet found the end zone. He had two outstanding catches in the second half.

One was a third-quarter 17-yard gain that put the Chiefs in red zone.

The head coach and Mahomes both expressed hope that Kelce would finally reach his big-time goals after the weekend’s victory. Although this is the new normal for one of the league’s best tight ends, nobody seemed to be worried about it.

This is still the case after a week; yet, the longer Chiefs games pass without a vintage Kelce effort – or anything that even loosely resembles one – the more attention will be paid to his specific stats.

Though he has lost a lot of agility compared to his prime, Kelce is still able to get open. Besides, his head is still clear, hence he is obviously capable of writing correctly.

For a different set of factors, he is not getting targets or catches inside the rhythm of the offensive, though. Maybe we could have opened that window if our sample size had been larger.

Mahomes believes that everything else will take care of itself if other guys start (or, in Rice’s case, keep going) and Kelce keeps on going.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes stated, “The more plays Rashee makes, the more effectively we can run the football, which allows us to involve (Xavier) Worthy, thereby increasing Travis’s opportunities to be open.” “Individuals are genuinely concerned about attempting to remove him, which is facilitating opportunities for other players.”

SOUREC: SI

Sports

A Trio Of NASCAR Stars In Danger Of Playoff Elimination At Bristol Cutoff Race

Published

2 months ago

2024-09-22

Kiara Grace

Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway, the first elimination race of NASCAR’s playoffs will pit a three-time Daytona 500 winner against two past Cup Series champions.

The trio is also among NASCAR’s greatest stars in a 16-driver playoff field that includes popular racers Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and Bubba Wallace who did not qualify.

So this year’s field is rather depleted, but Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr., and Harrison Burton are all below the cutline heading into the first elimination race of the playoffs. The bottom four drivers from Saturday night’s race will be removed.

So, what is the plan?

Hamlin, a four-time champion at Bristol, has a simple ambition.

“I’m coming here to win,” Hamlin declared Friday. “That plan will remain unchanged unless the scenario in the race changes. I’m going to go on offense straight away, and I’ll be fine regardless of the outcome.

“I just know, that over 500 laps here, things will work themselves out.”

A Trio Of NASCAR Stars In Danger Of Playoff Elimination At Bristol Cutoff Race

Joey Logano is the only driver who has already qualified for the second round after winning the playoff opener in Atlanta. This leaves the remaining 11 positions available, with the bottom four in the most jeopardy.

The Atlanta race and the road circuit at Watkins Glen last week were new sites on the 10-race playoff schedule, which is how Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 winner, 2012 champion Keselowski, and 2017 champion Truex ended himself in this position.

Both circuits are unpredictable, and Keselowski finished 19th at Atlanta, the highest of the three drivers in both races. Truex, who finished 20th at Watkins Glen, was furious after the race about the lack of respect among drivers in the field.

He’s retiring from full-time competition after the season, and he decided it’s probably too late to become a dirty driver. He stated that he was unsure whether he would be willing to compromise his ethical views to advance to the next round of the playoffs.

“I honestly don’t know. “I believe it will just depend on the situation — what we find ourselves in and what is going on,” Truex stated. “But most likely not.” I’ll probably race the same way I always do, and maybe we’ll be good enough to finish the job that way.”

Hamlin clarified that the contract extension handed to Wallace earlier this week does not indicate that 23XI Racing is close to signing NASCAR’s charter agreement.

When NASCAR issued a deadline two weeks ago to accept its last offer, 23XI was one of only two holdouts. Wallace has agreed to a multi-year contract deal, according to the organization.

“Nothing has changed on our side on (charters),” said Hamlin, the team’s co-owner alongside Michael Jordan and Curtis Polk. “We’ve said for awhile that we plan on racing next year and we’re sticking to that.”

That was the message Hamlin delivered this week at a sponsor summit held by 23XI Racing for its partners.

“We were quite clear in our messaging that nothing was changing. “The battles we have off the track are over ownership,” Hamlin stated.

Driver exchange
Spire Motorsports and Rick Ware Racing announced Friday that they will swap drivers beginning with next week’s race at Kansas Speedway, marking a rare in-season team trade.

Corey LaJoie, who had already been informed that he would not be returning to Spire next season, will start racing for Rick Ware Racing next weekend. Justin Haley, who has previously driven for Spire, will return to his former squad to replace LaJoie.

Haley’s seat is secured until 2025, while LaJoie is virtually on trial with Rick Ware Racing for the next two months of the season.

LaJoie is regarded as the leading contender for the full-time driver position at RWR, but he needs establish himself in the next seven races of the season.

Haley has driven partial schedules for Spire throughout numerous seasons and earned the team’s only Cup Series victory in July 2019 at Daytona.

NASCAR transactions are unusual because sponsorship contracts are normally connected to a car or a certain driver.

A Trio Of NASCAR Stars In Danger Of Playoff Elimination At Bristol Cutoff Race

“It’s unique, it’s unconventional,” RWR president Robby Benton explained. “Driver swaps and player trades are very different from what we do (in NASCAR).” But I want you to know that everything is friendly.”

Kurt Busch switched to Furniture Row Racing for the final six races of 2012, while Jeff Burton joined Richard Childress Racing with 14 races remaining in 2004. The closest driver trade occurred in 2003, when Jeff Green and Steve Park switched rides.

Is Dale Jr. finally gone?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks that Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway would be his last until at least 2026.

JR Motorsports’ agreement with sponsor Hellmann’s Mayonnaise required the Hall of Fame driver to drive the vehicle at Bristol. That clause does not exist in 2025.

“I’m not planning on racing in the Xfinity Series next year,” Earnhardt added. “I’ll be foolish to say I’m never going to run again because I don’t know well enough to stay away from it, and I’ll probably miss it next year and be absolutely willing to sign up for anything that might be beneficial to JR Motorsports.”

Earnhardt, who turns 50 later this year, says he will miss racing in the series next year and “terribly regret that I didn’t race and probably in 2026 find me somewhere that I can go compete in the Xfinity Series again.”

“If a partner comes together with a package that helps one of the other cars fill out multiple races that we have some inventory, I’m absolutely on board to do a race for that reason alone,” according to him.

Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 Chevrolet at Bristol, which Connor Zilisch won in his Xfinity Series debut last weekend at Watkins Glen.

Earnhardt stated that JR Motorsports had not ended conversations on potentially fielding a Cup team.

“You just never know that when the phone rings what’s going to be on the other end of that call these days especially,” he told me. “There’s a lot of fresh interest coming into the sport, and with the new (charter) agreement, it’ll churn a bunch of potential partners who have been looking at the sport and waiting for that deal to happen to see where the monies end up.

“We may be able to capitalise on some of that momentum and those events. We may not. If it doesn’t happen, I’m not sure if I’ll have a huge regret.”

SOURCE | AP