Role Model or Quitter? Social Media’s Response to Simone Biles at Tokyo 2020

in International Journal of Sport Communication

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Steph DoehlerSchool of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6164-2133*
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1123/ijsc.2022-0143
Keywords:
mental health; athlete; framing; Olympics; Facebook
First Published Online:
07 Dec 2022
In Print:
Volume 16: Issue 1
Page Range:
64–79
Restricted access

During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Team USA athlete Simone Biles withdrew from several gymnastics events midcompetition, citing mental health issues. Biles, one of the most recognizable stars of the Games, faced intense scrutiny from both the world’s media and the general public in the immediate aftermath. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Facebook narrative surrounding Biles’s withdrawal within the theoretical context of framing, as crafted through user comments on various public high-profile Facebook pages. A total of 87,714 user comments were collected and analyzed using the qualitative software Leximancer. The themes emerging from the data suggested a polarizing narrative, with many users supporting Biles, engaging in the wider discussion surrounding athlete mental health, while others condemned her action, suggesting she quit on the biggest sporting stage.

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