October 25, 2021

Trigger warning: sexual assault

When I think back to the summer of 2012, a smile automatically forms on my face. I hear the song “Home” by Phillip Phillips echo through my memory so distinctly that it is almost as if I was sitting in front of my TV watching the London Olympics at this very moment. That summer, the USA Gymnastics team, who came to be known as the “Fierce Five”, won the Team Gold medal and exceeded all expectations prior to the games. At the time, all in the world of USA Gymnastics seemed perfect- until it was revealed that behind the scenes, these five gymnasts (as well as countless other athletes) had been abused by team doctor Larry Nassar, not just during the Olympic games, but for years beforehand. 125 women proceeded to file criminal complaints with police- though it will never be known how many more women were abused, and just prefered to remain silent. In 2018, Nassar was finally sentenced to more than 100 years in federal prison, where he will undoubtedly spend the rest of his life. 

Flash forward to the present day, and while Nassar is behind bars where he belongs, the pain of his survivors has not gone away- and the case is far from being closed. Those affected have shifted their focus to the FBI, who they feel mishandled the situation to an extreme degree. In court on September 15th, gymnasts Aly Raisman, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Maggie Nichols all testified. Holding back tears, Biles stated: “To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse." FBI director Christopher Wray released an apology statement, though no charges have been filed against any of the agents directly associated with this case. However, Special Agent Michael Langeman, who failed to investigate the allegations against Nassar, was fired before the hearing began, and agent Jay Abbot has since resigned. 

The timing of this hearing brings this past summer’s Tokyo Olympic games back into focus. Simone Biles, who has been the heart and soul of the USA Gymnastics program for years and is arguably the best gymnast of all time, was placed under intense scrutiny for her decision to withdraw from the team all-around final. Biles had the “twisties,” which occurs when an athlete’s mind and body lose connection and muscle memory fails to kick in. This mental block can be life or death for a gymnast- and it physically prevented Biles from being able to compete. After the years of abuse Biles went through, she should be applauded for even continuing on with gymnastics. She recently stated: “I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years. But I was not going to let him take that joy away from me, for something I’ve worked for since I was 6 years old. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.” 

This trial and Simone’s journey, along with those of her fellow survivors, should remind us all that it’s about time we stop expecting athletes to prioritize medals and championships over their mental and physical well being. Just as it is exceedingly important to remember that you never know what someone else is going through in your day-to-day interactions, the same goes for athletes we watch on television for our own entertainment. Simone herself said it best: “My mental and physical health is better than any medal.” 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/larry-nassar-usa-gymnastics-simone-biles-aly-raisman/ 

https://www.thecut.com/article/simone-biles-olympics-2021.html#comments