A 2018 study titled "Beating
Opponents, Battling Belittlement: How African-American
Female Athletes Use Community to Navigate Negative
Images" from Morgan State University in Baltimore
examined how they must navigate both racism and
sexism in order to become champions.
For example, it noted that Serena
Williams -- arguably the world's greatest tennis
player with more than 20 Grand Slam wins -- has
been compared to a "man" and a "gorilla."
Radio host Don Imus called the
players on the 2007 Rutgers women's basketball team
"nappy-headed hos" after they lost to
the Tennessee team in the NCAA final.
Osaka, Biles and Richardson have
been the targets of racism and sexism before, but
even more so recently.
Both Osaka and Biles dropped out
of competitions, they said, to protect their mental
health and Richardson was disqualified from competing
after testing positive for cannabis.
Richardson smoked marijuana legally
in Oregon and explained that it happened after a
journalist whom she didn't know broke the news to
her about the death of her mother.
The three have been criticized as
"quitters," "arrogant," "lazy"
and "irresponsible" by some on social
media. And those are just the words fit to print
here.
Osaka withdrew from the 2021 French
Open over a dispute regarding her not wanting to
give post-match interviews (she said it stoked her
anxiety); Biles withdrew from competitions at this
month's Olympics to focus on her mental health.
Richardson graciously accepted a ban, which kept
her from competing in the Olympics (she tweeted
"I'm sorry, I can't be y'all Olympic Champ
this year but I promise I'll be your World Champ
next year").
All are sending a clear message: They
are taking care of themselves.
This trio of athletes is younger
than I am and I truly do believe that they are of
a generation that has decided to prioritize their
mental health over everything else -- haters be
damned.
Each of them has already put in the
work ethic that has gotten them to the top of their
fields and they owe none of us their talents at
the risk of themselves. They wouldn't, even if they
weren't champions.
A friend reached out privately to
express anger that these women couldn't see fit
to "push through" and "do the work"
as we had been raised to (this friend and I are
of the same generation).
To that, I say perhaps they have
looked at the older generations and seen that such
a mentality can yield physical, emotional and mental
ramifications that just aren't worth it. What good
is fame, fortune and medals if unhappiness is the
toll to pay to get there?
So call it dropping out, quitting
or even breaking the rules if you want. What I call
it is winning.
Analysis
by Lisa Respers France, CNN
Updated 11:20 AM ET, Sun August 1, 2021
