Question of Sport's Ugo Monye defends Simone Biles after backlash over Olympics withdrawal
express.co.ukStrictly star, 38, has teamed up with Boots UK for the second series of the health and wellbeing podcast Taboo Talk, where he discusses the topic of chronic pain with host Vogue Williams.
In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, the Question of Sport panellist addressed why pain is such a taboo subject in the sporting world, and suggested that mental health problems are a lot harder for athletes to talk about.In July of last year, American gymnast Simone Biles made the decision to pull out of her final events at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
The four-time Olympic champion, 24, decided to withdraw on the basis that she had to focus on her mental health, explaining that she felt it would be “dangerous” for her to go on.Speaking about the strained relationship between mental health and sport, Ugo said: “I was talking to Vogue about, you know, superhuman athletes like Simone Biles who everyone has put on a pedestal.“And rightly so, she's the greatest gymnast the world has ever seen. “But when she speaks about her mental struggles, all of a sudden, it just opens up a pathway which makes it easier for little old me to be able to do it. “If this superhuman athlete has struggles, then I think it's okay for me to have struggles.”At the time she decided to step down, Simone unpacked her reasoning behind withdrawing from her remaining Olympics events. “I have to focus on my mental health; I just think mental health is more prevalent in sports right now,” she said.“We have to protect our minds and our bodies and not just go out and do what the world wants us to do.“I don't trust myself as much anymore.
Maybe it's getting older.There were a couple of days when everybody tweets you and you feel the weight of the world.“We're not just.
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