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Simone Biles puts her mental health before gymnastics at Tokyo Olympics — ‘She already won’ – Toronto Star

Published

3 years ago

July 27, 2021

All eyes were on Simone Biles on Tuesday, waiting for the gymnastics great to come up with something that once again stuns the world.

Fans were stunned by the end of the women’s artistic gymnastics team final, but in a manner no one likes to see. The 24-year-old American withdrew from the event after one vault and her lowest ever score on the apparatus at the Olympics.

Biles told reporters in Japan that she had no idea where she was in the air after her vault. Feeling like her head wasn’t in the performance, she worried she could get hurt or spoil her teammates’ chances at a medal by continuing. She chose to put her mental health before her sport, following the lead of Japanese tennis player and Olympian Naomi Osaka, who recently took a couple months away from the game.

“It’s very unfortunate this has to happen at this stage … it just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head,” Biles said.

The Americans entered the team final in second place behind the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee, the first time in 11 years the U.S. found itself anywhere but first after the qualifying round. Biles’ teammates, Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles, fought on in Biles’ absence — though the veteran was never far away, cheering the team on from the sidelines. But the short-handed group couldn’t do enough to best the gold-medal winning ROC, finishing with silver and bringing an end to the U.S.’s run at the top of the sport. The Americans entered Tokyo with five successive world titles and back-to-back Olympic gold at London 2012 and Rio 2016.

Biles, who needs four podium finishes in Tokyo to become the most decorated male or female gymnast in history, has been open about the pressure she feels to perform.

“It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it,” she wrote in an Instagram post earlier in the Games after struggling during the preliminary round. “I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like the pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard.”

She was lauded by other athletes, celebrities and fans on Tuesday for prioritizing her mental heath.

“All of these athletes dream of these moments their entire lives,” Rio teammate Aly Raisman told NBC. “I’m hoping that Simone is OK … Simone, just like everyone else, is doing the best she can. Simone is there cheering her teammates, supporting them the best she can.”

American figure skater Adam Rippon, who won a bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Games, said he can’t imagine the pressure Biles has been feeling.

“Sending her SO much love,” he wrote in a tweet. “It’s easy to forget she’s still human. WE LOVE YOU.”

Hoda Kotb, a host of NBC’s “Today” who is in Japan covering the Games, said Biles already won.

“She is a class act,” Kotb wrote on Twitter. “Withdrew from team competition after her vault … stayed and cheered on her teammates … got them chalk for their hands … encouraged … hugged them. She already won.”

A statement from U.S. Gymnastics said Biles’ withdrawal was due to a “medical issue” and she would be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions. She is scheduled to defend her Olympic title in the all-around final Thursday and has also qualified for all four individual event finals later in the Games.

COVID-19 surges: Tokyo reported its highest number of new coronavirus infections Tuesday. The Japanese capital reported 2,848 new cases, exceeding an earlier record of 2,520 on Jan. 7. Experts had warned the more contagious Delta variant could cause a surge during the Olympics, with cases among younger, unvaccinated people rising as Japan’s inoculation drive loses steam due to supply uncertainty. About 25.5 per cent of Japanese people have been vaccinated.

Bermuda’s Golden Girl: Triathlete Flora Duffy was already a local celebrity in her native Bermuda, but her star is soaring after winning the country’s first Olympic gold medal Tuesday.

Duffy is one of two Bermudian athletes participating in Tokyo 2020. With a population of 63,000, it is the smallest nation or territory to win Olympic gold.

“It’s bigger than me and that’s a really cool moment,” Duffy, 33, said.

With files from the Associated Press

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Red Wings sign Moritz Seider to 7-year deal worth nearly $60M

Published

4 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings made another investment this week in a young standout, signing Moritz Seider to a seven-year contract worth nearly $60 million.

The Red Wings announced the move with the 23-year-old German defenseman on Thursday, three days after keeping 22-year-old forward Lucas Raymond with a $64.6 million, eight-year deal.

Detroit drafted Seider with the No. 6 pick overall eight years ago and he has proven to be a great pick. He has 134 career points, the most by a defenseman drafted in 2019.

He was the NHL’s only player to have at least 200 hits and block 200-plus shots last season, when he scored a career-high nine goals and had 42 points for the second straight year.

Seider won the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie in 2022 after he had a career-high 50 points.

Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is banking on Seider, whose contract will count $8.55 million annually against the cap, and Raymond to turn a rebuilding team into a winner.

Detroit has failed to make the playoffs in eight straight seasons, the longest postseason drought in franchise history.

The Red Wings, who won four Stanley Cups from 1997 to 2008, have been reeling since their run of 25 straight postseasons ended in 2016.

Detroit was 41-32-9 last season and finished with a winning record for the first time since its last playoff appearance.

Yzerman re-signed Patrick Kane last summer and signed some free agents, including Vladimir Tarasenko to a two-year contract worth $9.5 million after he helped the Florida Panthers hoist the Cup.

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Veterans Tyson Beukeboom, Karen Paquin lead Canada’s team at WXV rugby tournament

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

Veterans Tyson Beukeboom and Karen Paquin will lead Canada at the WXV 1 women’s rugby tournament starting later this month in the Vancouver area.

WXV 1 includes the top three teams from the Women’s Six Nations (England, France and Ireland) and the top three teams from the Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand, and the United States).

Third-ranked Canada faces No. 4 France, No. 7 Ireland and No. 1 England in the elite division of the three-tiered WXV tournament that runs Sept. 29 to Oct. 12 in Vancouver and Langley, B.C. No. 2 New Zealand and the eighth-ranked U.S. make up the six-team WVX 1 field.

“Our preparation time was short but efficient. This will be a strong team,” Canada coach Kevin Rouet said in a statement. “All the players have worked very hard for the last couple of weeks to prepare for WXV and we are excited for these next three matches and for the chance to play on home soil here in Vancouver against the best rugby teams in the world.

“France, Ireland and England will each challenge us in different ways but it’s another opportunity to test ourselves and another step in our journey to the Rugby World Cup next year.”

Beukeboom serves as captain in the injury absence of Sophie de Goede. The 33-year-old from Uxbridge, Ont., earned her Canadian-record 68th international cap in Canada’s first-ever victory over New Zealand in May at the Pacific Four Series.

Twenty three of the 30 Canadian players selected for WXV 1 were part of that Pacific Four Series squad.

Rouet’s roster includes the uncapped Asia Hogan-Rochester, Caroline Crossley and Rori Wood.

Hogan-Rochester and Crossley were part of the Canadian team that won rugby sevens silver at the Paris Olympics, along with WXV teammates Fancy Bermudez, Olivia Apps, Alysha Corrigan and Taylor Perry. Wood is a veteran of five seasons at UBC.

The 37-year-old Paquin, who has 38 caps for Canada including the 2014 Rugby World Cup, returns to the team for the first time since the 2021 World Cup.

Canada opens the tournament Sept. 29 against France at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver before facing Ireland on Oct. 5 at Willoughby Stadium at Langley Events Centre, and England on Oct. 12 at B.C. Place.

The second-tier WXV 2 and third-tier WXV 3 are slated to run Sept. 27 to Oct. 12, in South Africa and Dubai, respectively.

WXV 2 features Australia, Italy, Japan, Scotland, South Africa and Wales while WXV 3 is made up of Fiji, Hong Kong, Madagascar, the Netherlands, Samoa and Spain.

The tournament has 2025 World Cup qualification implications, although Canada, New Zealand and France, like host England, had already qualified by reaching the semifinals of the last tournament.

Ireland, South Africa, the U.S., Japan, Fiji and Brazil have also booked their ticket, with the final six berths going to the highest-finishing WXV teams who have not yet qualified through regional tournaments.

Canada’s Women’s Rugby Team WXV 1 Squad

Forwards

Alexandria Ellis, Ottawa, Stade Français Paris (France); Brittany Kassil, Guelph, Ont., Guelph Goats; Caroline Crossley, Victoria, Castaway Wanderers; Courtney Holtkamp, Rimbey, Alta., Red Deer Titans Rugby; DaLeaka Menin, Vulcan, Alta., Exeter Chiefs (England); Emily Tuttosi, Souris, Man., Exeter Chiefs (England); Fabiola Forteza, Quebec City, Stade Bordelais (France); Gabrielle Senft, Regina, Saracens (England); Gillian Boag, Calgary, Gloucester-Hartpury (England); Julia Omokhuale, Calgary, Leicester Tigers (England); Karen Paquin, Quebec City, Club de rugby de Quebec; Laetitia Royer, Loretteville, Que., ASM Romagnat (France); McKinley Hunt, King City, Ont., Saracens (England); Pamphinette Buisa, Gatineau, Que., Ottawa Irish; Rori Wood, Sooke, B.C., College Rifles RFC; Sara Cline, Edmonton, Leprechaun Tigers; Tyson Beukeboom, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England);

Backs

Alexandra Tessier, Sainte-Clotilde-de-Horton, Que., Exeter Chiefs (England); Alysha Corrigan, Charlottetown, P.E.I., CRFC; Asia Hogan-Rochester, Toronto, Toronto Nomads; Claire Gallagher, Caledon, Ont., Leicester Tigers (England); Fancy Bermudez, Edmonton, Saracens (England); Julia Schell, Uxbridge, Ont., Ealing Trailfinders (England); Justine Pelletier, Rivière-du-Loup, Que, Stade Bordelais (France); Mahalia Robinson, Fulford, Que., Town of Mount Royal RFC; Olivia Apps, Lindsay, Ont., Lindsay RFC; Paige Farries, Red Deer, Alta., Saracens (England); Sara Kaljuvee, Ajax, Ont., Westshore RFC; Shoshanah Seumanutafa, White Rock, B.C., Counties Manukau (New Zealand); Taylor Perry, Oakville, Ont., Exeter Chiefs (England).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 18, 2024.

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Vancouver Canucks star goalie Thatcher Demko working through rare muscle injury

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

Anne Joseph

PENTICTON, B.C. – Vancouver Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko says he’s been working his way back from a rare lower-body muscle injury since being sidelined in last season’s playoffs.

The 28-year-old all star says the rehabilitation process has been frustrating, but he has made good progress in recent weeks and is confident he’ll be able to return to playing.

He says he and his medical team have spent the last few months talking to specialists around the world, and have not found a single other hockey player who has dealt with the same injury.

Demko missed several weeks of the last season with a knee ailment and played just one game in Vancouver’s playoff run last spring before going down with the current injury.

He was not on the ice with his teammates as the Canucks started training camp in Penticton, B.C., on Thursday, but skated on his own before the sessions began.

Demko posted a 35-14-2 record with a .918 percentage, a 2.45 goals-against average and five shutouts for Vancouver last season.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 19, 2024.

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