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

Bibliographic Data

ID21834178
AuthorsSteph Doehler (0000-0002-6164-2133, The Open University, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume16
Issue1
Pages64-79
Publication date2023-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueInternational Journal of Sport Communication (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1936-3907 • E-ISSN: 1936-3915
PublisherHuman Kinetics (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1123/ijsc.2022-0143
OpenAlexW4312250446
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited27

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

Art · Literature · Media coverage · Media studies · Mental health · Narrative · Political science · Psychiatry · Scrutiny · Social media · Sociology · History · Law · Media Influence and Health · Psychology · Public Relations and Crisis Communication · Sports, Gender, and Society

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year1
Citation span2025 - 2025 (1)
Citation velocityrecent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1
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