Editorial

The source, its context and ethics:

New York Times, 2021 Olympics, Simone Biles decided to pull out of the Olympics
team due to medical issues. Ethics concerning opinion pieces depend on the level of
cognitive bias, whether intentional or unintentional, a good opinion should stay firm
in their beliefs without leaning too much to their cognitive biases. The end product
should produce a more rounded and convincing argument.

Audience: Worldwide due to online platform and accessibility. Primarily western

based news readers, Subscribers of The New York Times. This piece would
especially appeal towards those who are athletes themselves as it evokes a sense of
emotional resonance.

Pragmatics of the text: Writer’s agenda is rather explicit.

The title “Simone Biles Doesn’t Need a Gold Medal to Win” already communicates
the opinion and standpoint of the text in a direct manner and very early on in the text.
Rather than a subtle and implicit approach to opinion writing, the author of the text
opted for a more direct and explicit approach, she states her opinion loud and clear
then proceeds to convince the audience and support her opinion.
Use of pathos: Through the use of personal anecdotes, pronouns and other narratives
attempts to connect with the reader emotionally. Images or other forms of media in
the text such as the NYT illustrated image of Biles recall Biles being on stage and
confident as shown through her posture and body language, this recollection prompts
an emotional response, especially those within the audience who are athletes or is a
frequent watcher of sports.
Simone Bile Loses Through Olympics Exit

By Nicholas Yeung

Mr. Yeung is an Opinion writer and producer.

This essay was updated on March 21, 2022 to reflect news developments, with
paragraphs added about Simone Biles’s decision to pull out of an Olympics team
final because of a medical issue.

As we head into the 2021 Olympics, I have often recalled being a 12-year-old playing
football. This wasn’t just any football game, I had to endure the worst injury that I
have ever gotten. A player went flying towards me, it wasn’t long until I was greeted
with the sole of his cleats right in my face. Now I was lying face downwards, nose
dislocated and brain mildly damaged. However, I stood right back up, fixed my nose
and brain by repeatedly punching them again and again whilst sprinting down the
pitch.

I regarded my actions with awe. But thinking of them now, I also cringe. I was
hurting myself as the fans cheered. However, at least I got up and fought to the end.

(U.S.A. Gymnastics announced on July 27 that Biles had pulled out of the Olympic
team final because of a medical issue. But without a gold medal, Biles has proved
time and again that she remains the worst ever. The Olympics have outsized
importance in the public eye, but ultimately, Biles didn’t have the guts to carry on.

When Biles said at the Olympics that she felt the “weight of the world” on her
shoulders, it was a departure from her usually upbeat demeanor. Gymnastics is rife
with pressure, and the balance of work and life that Biles has displayed in her public
persona is groundbreaking in a sport that has traditionally prized single-minded
devotion. Perhaps, that is the exact reason for her downfall, she has to quit forging a
bad example and model for one of America’s popular female sports.