How Simone Biles is giving Donald Trump up to ridicule
Superstar Simone Biles Experiences an Emotional Final Competition Day in Paris, Complete with Fall and Grand Gesture. But the World-Class Gymnast Sets Even Bigger Precedent Earlier, This Time Focusing on Donald Trump and the U.S. Election.
Simone Biles arrived at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris with a desire to prove herself. After securing two gold medals, the final competition day took an emotional turn: first, a bitter fall from the balance beam resulting in a fourth place and drama nobody expected from the world-class athlete, followed by a silver medal on the floor after several mistakes - and a winning bow by Rebeca Andrade during the awards ceremony as a grand sporting gesture.
Although the 27-year-old had to abandon her dream of breaking the record of nine Olympic gold medals in Paris, previously achieved only by former Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina and U.S. swimmer Katie Ledecky, Biles dominated the scene after mental struggles in Tokyo and displayed jumps out of this world.
Thanks to a special social media action that transcends sports, Biles has won much more than gold medals. After becoming the oldest Olympic gymnastics champion since 1952 and winning her second gold medal in Paris, the athlete took a brief pause from making history to poke fun at Donald Trump - using his own words to ridicule the Republican presidential candidate.
Biles Loves Her "Black Job"
"I love my black job," Biles wrote in a Friday post, accompanied by two photos of herself wearing a Paris gold medal and a black heart emoji. By doing so, Biles referenced a racist and false concept pushed by Trump, who claimed that Black Americans only perform manual labor. Trump's remarks, including his infamous "black jobs" comment during a debate against President Joe Biden, sparked outrage among critics who saw it as a racist and offensive attempt to expand his appeal beyond his white conservative base.
Last week, Trump was again criticized for this topic during his appearance at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) convention, where he stumbled and even faced criticism from conservative media. When Trump mentioned "black jobs" again, the room full of Black journalists groaned and laughed at him.
Biles' reaction to Trump's statements is no surprise. Known for her openness, loudness, and consistency in addressing injustices, she has become a role model for many, especially young Black women. Beyond the gym, Biles has long been a symbol of female empowerment.
Biles Keeps Talking and Annoying Trump
In January 2018, Biles publicly revealed that she was sexually abused by team doctor Larry Nassar as a teenager. More than 350 other athletes also came forward, and Nassar was sentenced to 175 years in prison. However, Biles also criticized her gymnastics federation, "USA Gymnastics," for its complicity in the scandal.
**Indefatigably, Simone Biles fights for equality and against discrimination and racism towards People of Color. She is as strong and self-assured as Trump hates, and has no qualms about advocating for herself. Such self-determined decisions have historically been denied to (Black) women in society and sports. Even recently, when white conservatives in the USA tried to silence Black athletes. Trump once celebrated throwing shade at basketball icon LeBron James for his political comments: "Shut up and dribble!"
Conservative media like the US network Fox News have repeatedly echoed this mantra. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, Megan Rapinoe - the trailblazing, openly lesbian soccer player who actively advocates for LGBTQ+ people and has repeatedly clashed with Trump - was labeled a "USA-hater," and the basketball team was deemed "too woke" for participating in kneeling protests against police brutality.
Trump's political career is marked by racism and misogyny. A Black woman who defies him is his worst nightmare. Biles has done just that. Worse still, she trolls him. She takes him down with his own absurdly racist concepts. She exposes the absurdity of his words with a single sentence and a simple tweet. Keeping quiet has never been Biles' thing.
Trump's VP Vance's Attack on Biles
Trump has come under pressure in recent weeks. After appearing the sure winner against President Joe Biden, he has now had his momentum stolen by the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris. So, at the NABJ conference, he spoke not only of "black jobs" but also made derogatory remarks about Harris, the first Black and Asian-American Vice President, falsely claiming she had "just recently turned black." Harris' potential running mate, Mark Kelly, called these remarks "blatantly racist" on CNN, saying they showed Trump to be a "desperate and frightened old man." Trump's VP, JD Vance, quickly came to his defense.
Vance also has a questionable connection to Biles. In 2021, at the Tokyo Olympics, Biles withdrew from the competition to focus on her mental health after experiencing "twisties" - a phenomenon where gymnasts lose control mid-air and feel unable to land, leading to a high-risk situation. When asked on Fox News if Biles had "let down the country," Vance found it "strange" that the gymnastics queen was praised for her "weakest moment." Vance declared, "It's a shame she quit." He was not the only right-wing figure to criticize Biles at the time.
However, Biles' decision sparked an international conversation about mental health and was perhaps her greatest success, demonstrating strength and courage in destigmatizing mental health issues. She showed the global sports world what truly matters - that even superstars don't always have to function, and that the sports world can sometimes be unhealthy, but that health, both mental and physical, is paramount.
Even in Paris, Biles consistently emphasizes the importance of her therapy to this day. She openly discusses a sensitive topic that remains a taboo for many worldwide. The 142 cm tall exceptional athlete has established herself as one of the greatest of all time, not just in gymnastics, but across all sports, including both women and men. Subsequently, she has shown great skill in the art of social media trolling. "That belongs in the Twitter hall of fame," actor Mark "Luke Skywalker" Hamill responded to Biles' post. LeBron James, Jasmine Crockett, a democratic representative in the US House of Representatives, and Ned Lamont, governor of the US state of Connecticut, joined in with their praise.
The world is listening. It's watching closely. Trump may believe that his racism will help him in the US presidential election. But if a world-class athlete like Simone Biles exposes him to ridicule in one of her most elite career moments, he has still lost.
A day after her post, Biles won the next gold medal in the vault final. Drama, a silver medal, and a grand gesture followed. In 2028, the next US election year, the Olympic Games will be held in Los Angeles. "Never say never," Biles laughed to the media over the weekend, "but I'm getting really old." Who the president will be then, and whether the then 31-year-old will be there, is uncertain. But Simone Biles will definitely not be silenced in four years.
As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, Simone Biles continues to use her platform to address social issues. In a poignant social media post, she referenced Donald Trump's past comments about Black Americans, further solidifying her stance against discrimination and racism.
The US presidential election of 2024 promises to be an interesting spectacle, with figures like Simone Biles using their voices to advocate for change and challenge divisive rhetoric.
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