Yahoo Finance Ex-U.S. Gymnast Dominique Moceanu Shows Brutal Example Of How She Had No Say At Olympics
Ex-U.S. Olympic gymnast Dominique Moceanu feels Simone Biles’ pain ― and her own.
After Biles dropped out of the Tokyo Olympics’ team competition and the all-around for mental health reasons, Moceanu recalled a time when she had no say in her own welfare at the Games. The 1996 gold medalist shared an old clip of her, already nursing a leg injury, falling on her head on the balance beam in the competition:
I was 14 y/o w/ a tibial stress fracture, left alone w/ no cervical spine exam after this fall. I competed in the Olympic floor final minutes later. @Simone_Biles 🤍 decision demonstrates that we have a say in our own health—“a say” I NEVER felt I had as an Olympian. pic.twitter.com/LVdghdAh1g
— Dominique Moceanu (@Dmoceanu) July 28, 2021
In our sport, we essentially dive into a pool w/ no water. When you lose your ability to find the ground—which appears to be part of @Simone_Biles decision—-the consequences can be catastrophic. She made the right decision for the team & herself. @bisping
— Dominique Moceanu (@Dmoceanu) July 28, 2021
Moceanu earned her gold as part of the U.S. team, dubbed the “Magnificent Seven,” which won the women’s team title.
She wrote of her alleged mistreatment by coaches Marta and Bela Karolyi in her 2012 memoir Off Balance.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
