It’s like a horse out of the barn: You can’t get it back in.”īiles, among the most outspoken critics of USA Gymnastics in the wake of the Larry Nassar sexual abuse scandal and herself a Nassar survivor, is not complaining. “I think the culture shift is happening, but it’s almost as if the athletes almost have too much power and the coaches can’t get a rein on it,” Biles told The Associated Press in May. Her concern, however, is that the sport's brave new world might make it difficult for the coaches hired to mold prodigies into champions to effectively do their jobs. Simone Biles has embraced the long-overdue push to create a more athlete-centric environment. Still, the greatest gymnast of all time wonders if the pendulum has swung too far, too fast. “I feel like the trainings are actually kind of a lot more fun and not - I mean, it’s still stressful, but it’s not as stressful as it used to be,” said MyKayla Skinner, an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team who will be one of six American women competing in Tokyo this month. The impromptu flash mob at national championships last month offered a symbolic if somewhat superficial glimpse at how the landscape is evolving. The vibe around the top level of the sport in the United States has loosened in the five years since the highly successful yet highly divisive national team coordinator retired. Within a minute or two, nearly the entire group was doing “The Cha Cha Slide” for all the world to see. Jordan Chiles did what she usually does when there's a lull in the action. Others searched the stands for their families. On the floor at Dickies Arena, Olympic hopefuls milled about aimlessly. The pressure - mercifully if only momentarily - gone.
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