Simone Biles has become embroiled in the controversy over an American athlete who launched a protest from the Olympic medal winner’s podium.
She has thrown her support behind the athlete who is now under Olympic investigation over the gesture.
Shot putter Raven Saunders raised her arms above her head on the podium and formed an ‘X’ with her wrists on Sunday night as she claimed her silver medal.
The 25-year-old American explained the crossing of her wrists as ‘the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.’
The International Olympic Committee has launched a probe into Saunders’ protest which officials believe may have breached protocol which bans political gestures.
But Simone, 24, has risked becoming under more scrutiny by supporting the protest.
The troubled six times Olympic medalist, who is experiencing mental health issues in Tokyo has decided to back Saunders protest today.
She posted a picture of the athlete with her arms crossed on the podium to her 6.5 million Instagram followers
Under the photo were the words; ‘Gave everything for this.
‘If you are black, LGBTQIA+ Or mentally struggling, this one is for you.
‘Shout out to all my fighters’
Simone is set to reveal tonight whether she will compete in the beam exercise at the Olympics, the last discipline which has her name on the start list after she removed herself from five other competitions in Tokyo.
Saunders’ protest came after Gwen Berry, perhaps the best known ‘activist athlete’, on Sunday vowed to continue to ‘represent the oppressed’.
Berry, 31, staged a high profile protest during the Olympic trials on June 26 – turning to face the stands, putting her hands on her hips and then holding up a t-shirt bearing the words ‘athlete activist’.
Berry’s actions were seen as disrespectful by many, with conservative commentators calling for her to be kicked out of the Olympic squad as a result.
Saunders, who is openly gay, has spoken previously about contemplating suicide, and said she has seen poverty and depression ravage her black community and others like it.
A two-time Olympian, who competed in Rio, she said that she wondered whether the Games – which make a point of celebrating diversity but often struggles to live up to that mission, would be welcoming to someone like her.
This year’s games has been dominated by athletes such as Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka speaking openly out about their problems, and Saunders said she wanted to as well.
Asked by Associated Press what her aim was, she replied: ‘To be me. To not apologize.’
She added: ‘To show younger people that no matter how many boxes they try to fit you in, you can be you and you can accept it.
‘People tried to tell me not to do tattoos and piercings and all that.
‘But look at me now, and I’m poppin’.’
Meanwhile, Biles took a back seat in the gymnastics arena in Tokyo on Sunday as she slipped inside to support her US teammates.
The troubled athlete donned a black safety face mask as she took a third row seat above the gymnasium floor on the day she revealed she had withdrawn from another event, the floor exercise, for which she is the current champion.
Simone, wearing a Team US Olympic T-shirt, black training bottoms and white sneakers, sat with Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum as they cheered on the other athletes.
The star, from Spring, Texas, has brought herself time to ponder her Olympic future after declaring she is suffering mental health problems.
But she has stayed very much in the limelight, attending gymnastics and updating her six million followers on Instagram.
On Sunday, she even posted a picture of the arena which helped give the scores of photographers her precise seating position, which was tucked well away from US officials.
She wrote: ‘Supporting the guys and gals – go USA.’
As America’s Mykayla Skinner became the first athlete to attempt the vault, Simone removed her mask and was seen shouting: ‘Let’s go Mykala!’
Jade Carey was also in the vault line-up for the US while Sunisa Lee was battling for her second gold in Tokyo in the final of the women’s uneven bars. Lee took home bronze in the event.
When Mykayla, who replaced Simone in the vault discipline, landed after her first attempt, Simone shouted: ‘You got this, Mykayla.’
As she completed her second vault, Simone removed her mask and rose to her feet to applaud the 21-year-old who took her place.
But her jumps landed her the silver with gold going to Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade and bronze to Korea’s Seojeong Yeo.
Simone picked up her cell phone several times to check it, in between the athletes’ vaults and sipped from a bottle of water.
Jade finished eighth place.
Biles may have performed at an Olympics for the last time as she tonight decided against defending another of her gold medals.
On Saturday evening, she told Team US officials that she could not participate in the floor final event, leaving just one more discipline with her name on the start list.
Simone, 24, had already quit the uneven bars, vault, individual all-round and dropped out of the team event after just one attempt at the vault.
USA Gymnastics coaches and officials are ‘uncertain’ whether she will appear on the beam, in Tuesday’s final event and if she does withdraw, Olympic fans may never see her again at a games.
By the time the Olympics kick-off in Paris in 2024, she will be 27 years old and Simone has told friends that her current age – she is the oldest US woman gymnast in Tokyo – has already added to the ‘demons’ which have affected her in Japan.
She is full of doubt additionally over whether she can perform to her best and is suffering what gymnasts call the ‘twisties’, where athletes lose focus and fear leaping through the air in disciplines and with little confidence .
Tonight USA Gymnastics said: ‘Simone has withdrawn from the event final for floor and will make a decision on beam later this week.’
In a show of support for the worried athlete, the officials added: ‘Either way, we are all behind you Simone.’
Simone, herself in one of her latest Instagram posts, said: ‘I am allowed to have boundaries and not feel bad.’
*story by DailyMail.com
