Role model or quitter? Social media’s response to Simone Biles at Tokyo 2020

Doehler, Steph (2022). Role model or quitter? Social media’s response to Simone Biles at Tokyo 2020. In: Center for Sociocultural Sport and Olympic Research - annual conference, 18-19 Mar 2022, California State University, Fullerton.

URL: https://www.cssor.org/

Abstract

During the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Team USA athlete, Simone Biles, withdrew from several gymnastics events mid-competition, citing mental health issues. Biles, one of the most recognisable 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 analyse the Facebook narrative surrounding Biles’ withdrawal within the theoretical context of framing, as crafted through user comments on various public high-profile Facebook pages. A total of 40,122 user comments were collected and analysed using the qualitative software Leximancer. The themes emerging from the data suggested a strong conflicting narrative with many users supporting Biles and engaging in wider discussion surrounding athlete mental health, whilst others condemned her action suggesting she quit on the biggest sporting stage.

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