It’s notable that one of the first major stories to come out of Paris 2024 was Simone Biles’ triumphant comeback after having dropped out of the competition at the last Summer Olympics for mental health reasons. Against that backdrop, her contribution to Team USA’s victory in the women’s gymnastics all-around event, followed up by gold in the individual competition, culminated a storyline of resilience and redemption.
But amid the excitement about Biles’ comeback and the framing of it in heroic terms, it’s easy to forget that her decision not to finish the competition in Tokyo became a political and cultural wedge issue. In the U.S., right-wing commentators called her a quitter and blamed the left for creating a culture that is too soft, prompting a backlash. The ensuing discourse was in many ways a reflection of how political polarization has seeped into every corner of society.
And yet, it pales in comparison to the controversy that erupted in the women’s boxing competition at the Olympic Games yesterday, when Algerian Imane Khelif beat Italian Angela Carini, after Carini abandoned the match due to intense pain just 46 seconds into the bout.