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Simone Biles, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and arguably the best female gymnast, is fed up with the regular drug tests.
On June 22th, Biles tweeted about the daily drug testing being sickening, “Ok, I’m officially over drug testing, I’ve been out for a year now, and they’ve shown up twice in a week and a half. Leave me alone bruh.”
Under FIG (Federal International De Gymnastique), their policy subjects athletes to taking random drug tests at any given time, regardless of their actions. Since Biles has not retired from the sport, she is considered an active athlete; therefore, she must partake in drug testing policies.
Importance of Prioritizing Mental Health when Competing
Simone Biles is falling in love with gymnastics again after withdrawing from the 2020 Olympics because of injury and mental health issues.
This controversial decision resulted in many fans bashing her, while others supported her.
However, Biles did not let the negative comments influence her decision, as she believes mental health always comes first. If she is not feeling good mentally, she will not feel strong physically, stating, “I don’t think you realize how dangerous this is on hard/competitive surfaces… Nor do I have to explain why I put my health first. Physical health is mental health.”
Biles was not the first athlete to drop out of a competition, as Naomi Osaka, a Tennis phenomenon, withdrew from Wimbledon because of her deteriorating mental health.
Simone Biles told the Associated Press, “We have to protect our mind and body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.”
As high-level athletes, many believe that they have the perfect lives and do not struggle, but these women showcase that they also experience mental health issues and the importance of putting their well-being before their sport.
Simone Biles has spoken about random drug testing before
This is not the first time Biles has expressed her feelings about random drug testing.
Back in 2016, Biles was a victim of a Russian hacking scandal, which exposed her drug test results, along with the secret medical records of other top athletes.
As a child, Simone Biles was diagnosed with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), filing for a “therapeutic use exemption” through the World Anti-Doping Agency, which permits athletes with a medical diagnosis to engage in competitions while taking illegal drugs. After the hack revealed her private records about her prescriptions, Biles tweeted that she had been prescribed ADHD medication and taking it to deal with her condition.
Biles asserted, “I have ADHD and have taken medicine for it since I was a kid. Please know that I believe in a clean sport, have always followed the rules, and will continue to do so as fair play is critical to sport and very important to me.”
Dealing with multiple drug tests in less than two weeks can be difficult for athletes like Biles, who has ADHD. Many athletes feel the same way as Biles about drug testing, however, Simone Biles conveyed her emotions publicly, stating, “Leave me alone, bruh.”
THIS IS SAD, SAD, SICK AND SHAMEFUL…
BLESS AND PRAY FOR HER PLEASE…