Black Olympians Often Have 'The Weight Of The World' On Their Shoulders
Consider This from NPR
NPR
4.2 • 6.2K Ratings
🗓️ 29 July 2021
⏱️ 14 minutes
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Summary
When an athlete performs on a stage as hallowed and renowned as the Olympics, it's not surprising to see that this can have a negative psychological effect. University of Denver professor Mark Aoyagi explains that in many ways, elite competitions are inherently unhealthy.
The stress can be even more acute for Black athletes like Biles. Sociologist Harry Edwards wrote about this over 50 years ago and says these young Olympians are forced to deal with both the aspiration and fear of "Black excellence."
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Simone Biles is the most decorated gymnast in the world. |
| 0:03.7 | At 24 years old, she has won 36 medals. |
| 0:06.7 | 27 of those are gold. |
| 0:09.2 | But something was different for Biles |
| 0:10.4 | at this year's Tokyo Games. |
| 0:12.2 | So I was trying to get two and a half, |
| 0:14.2 | and I ended up doing a one and a half. |
| 0:15.9 | The advance vault move Biles is talking about |
| 0:17.8 | is called an Ammonar. |
| 0:19.3 | It involves a backhand spring |
| 0:21.1 | with two and a half twists in the air before landing. |
| 0:24.0 | For most gymnasts, that would be super complicated. |
| 0:27.2 | Biles has done it many times before, |
| 0:29.4 | perfectly. |
| 0:30.5 | But on Tuesday, it's got a little bit lost in the air. |
| 0:33.5 | At a press conference, she explained what happened. |
| 0:35.8 | Footage from the days event shows Biles |
| 0:37.5 | consulting with US team Dr. Marcy Foster |
| 0:39.9 | in before walking off the field of play. |
| 0:42.5 | A little later, she returned and made a decision |
| 0:44.7 | that caught the world off guard. |
| 0:46.0 | I was like, I think the girls need to do the rest |
... |
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