2020 Olympic champ Sunisa Lee to make a run at Paris 2024
November 15, 2022 GMTAUBURN, Ala. (AP) — Sunisa Lee is going to make another run at Olympic glory.
The 2020 women's all-around gymnastics champion announced Tuesday that she will return to training at the elite level following the end of her sophomore season at Auburn next spring.
FBI open to settling claims by gymnasts abused by Nassar
July 28, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has reached out to attorneys representing Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and other women who were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar to begin settlement talks in the $1 billion claim they brought against the federal government, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Biden awards Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords
July 8, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday presented the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including gymnast Simone Biles, the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican whom Biden served with in the Senate, and gun-control advocate Gabby Giffords.
Biden to award Medal of Freedom to Biles, McCain, Giffords
July 3, 2022 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including actor Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles and the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican with whom Biden served in the U.S.
Simone Biles, other women seek $1B-plus from FBI over Nassar
June 9, 2022 GMTDETROIT (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and dozens of other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar are seeking more than $1 billion from the FBI for failing to stop the sports doctor when the agency first received allegations against him, lawyers said Wednesday.
In NCAA women’s gymnastics, a Texas-sized hole
April 16, 2022 GMTFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Ragan Smith did not lack options when it came to choosing a college, as tends to happen when you're an elite gymnast with a national title on your resume.
Coverage of Simone Biles wins AP story of the year honors
March 4, 2022 GMTLAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — Associated Press sports writer Will Graves coverage of Simone Biles won Story of the Year honors in the annual contest for AP staffers judged by the Associated Press Sports Editors.
It’s a yes! Simone Biles engaged to Jonathan Owens on V-day
February 15, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Olympic great Simone Biles said it was “THE EASIEST YES” when her fellow elite athlete Jonathan Owens popped the question on Valentine's Day.
Mental health hovers over Olympics, on its way to mainstream
February 12, 2022 GMTZHANGJIAKOU, China (AP) — At the Tokyo Olympics, mental health was the breakout star.
NBC defends Shiffrin coverage, suggests sexism by critics
February 10, 2022 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — NBC offered a full-throated defense of how it covered skier Mikaela Shiffrin's shocking Olympics flameout, to the point of suggesting there's sexism involved in criticism that it was cruel in its portrayal of her emotional response.
Shiffrin talks about watching Biles deal with Olympic stress
February 2, 2022 GMTAlpine skiing superstar Mikaela Shiffrin was paying attention when gymnastics superstar Simone Biles opened up about being burdened by “the weight of the world” and sat out a string of finals at the Tokyo Olympics six months ago.
Mental health among athletes spotlighted in tumultuous 2021
December 22, 2021 GMTSimone Biles understands now that she was struggling long before she arrived at the Tokyo Olympics, where the unofficial face of the Games and one of the greatest gymnasts of all time was unable to force a smile and push her way through on the world's biggest stage.
2021 Notebook: For athletes, mental health took center stage
December 16, 2021 GMTTHE BACKGROUND: It was the year that mental health took a prominent position in the sports world — led by two female athletes, Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka.
Biles, the American gymnastics superstar, earned her seventh Olympic medal and second in Tokyo with a third-place finish in the balance beam final on Aug.
Parton, Oh, Biles and teachers named ‘People of the Year’
December 1, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — People magazine has named Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, actor Sandra Oh, country icon Dolly Parton and the nation's teachers as its “2021 People of the Year.”
Regroup, reset: Biles to rest after trailblazing tour
November 8, 2021 GMTThere's a video interlude during the “Gold Over America Tour” that Simone Biles spent the fall headlining where she offers advice to the audience of predominantly young women on how to deal with adversity.
Memorial services held for Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham
November 7, 2021 GMTGARY, Ind. (AP) — Olympic gymnast Dianne Durham, who died earlier this year, was remembered Saturday at memorial services in northwest Indiana as a pioneer.
Durham was the first Black woman to win a USA Gymnastics national championship.
Melnikova wins all-around final at gymnastics worlds
October 21, 2021 GMTKITAKYUSHU, Japan (AP) — Angelina Melnikova of Russia won the women’s all-around final on Thursday to claim the first gold medal of the gymnastics world championships.
Melnikova, the 2020 Olympic all-around bronze medalist, built up a solid lead with high scores on the vault and uneven bars and finished with 56.632 points.
Uchimura, 5 new Olympic champs headline gymnastics worlds
October 18, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Kohei Uchimura will be aiming for a measure of redemption when the world championships begin in his hometown this week in what could be a competition finale for one of the greatest male gymnasts of all time.
Wednesday Sports in Brief
September 16, 2021 GMTGYMNASTICS
WASHINGTON (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles told Congress on Wednesday that the FBI and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women.
Biles: FBI turned ‘blind eye’ to reports of gymnasts’ abuse
September 16, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles told Congress in forceful testimony Wednesday that federal law enforcement and gymnastics officials turned a “blind eye” to USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of her and hundreds of other women.
Biles: Mental health advocacy part of post-Olympic tour
August 19, 2021 GMTSimone Biles didn't plan for her second Olympics to become a flashpoint in the evolving conversation about the role proper mental health plays in all levels of sports.
Biden praises Olympians for inspiring Americans with courage
August 7, 2021 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — President Joe Biden praised U.S. Olympians for navigating the difficulties of a coronavirus-tarnished games with “moral courage" that made Americans' “hearts swell" with pride.
Long dominated by Russia, rhythmic gymnastics rising in US
August 5, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — In the darkest days of the pandemic, Evita Griskenas was stuck practicing in her parents’ Illinois basement, occasionally breaking lightbulbs as she tossed clubs and hoops through the air and cartwheeled to catch them.
Black women, across generations, heed Biles’ Olympic example
August 4, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Naomi Osaka. Simone Biles. Both are prominent young Black women under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight that few human beings ever know. Both have faced major career crossroads at the Tokyo Games.
No team gold, but U.S. women show depth during Tokyo stay
August 4, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles is taking a break. Maybe a permanent one. Sunisa Lee, Jade Carey, Jordan Chiles and Grace McCallum are all basically sprinting to college. MyKayla Skinner is ready to start a family.
Biles returns to Olympic competition, wins bronze on beam
August 3, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles isn't going home with a fistful of gold medals. A mental block — one brought on by exhaustion or stress or something the American gymnastics star still can't quite grasp — that forced her to pull out of four Olympic finals saw to that.
Biles returns to competition with a bronze medal and a smile
August 3, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles returned to the competition at the Tokyo Olympics in style, and will leave with another medal.
What color it is really isn't the point. That she delivered a tense, heart-pounding routine on the balance beam and nailed it with a smile meant everything.
Jade Carey’s long road to the Olympics ends with gold
August 2, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Jade Carey traveled the world for a spot in the Olympics. Germany. Qatar. Azerbaijan. Australia.
A lot of long flights. A little bit of jet lag. One unrelenting vision of what could be possible.
American star Simone Biles to return for balance beam finals
August 2, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles is back.
The 2016 Olympic gymnastics champion will return to competition in the balance beam final on Tuesday, a little over a week after stepping away from the meet to focus on her mental health.
After Biles exit, MyKayla Skinner earns Olympic silver medal
August 1, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — She launched herself off the vault, stuck the landing and saluted, then MyKayla Skinner heard the roar from her teammates watching in the stands. One voice seemed louder than the rest — Simone Biles, rooting for Skinner in what would become a silver-medal winning performance.
Perfectly Impossible: Gymnasts wrestle with the imperfect
August 1, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Sunisa Lee's gymnastics are stunning. They're just not “perfect.” Not technically, anyway.
Simone Biles opts out of floor exercise final at Olympics
August 1, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles will not defend her Olympic gold medal on floor exercise.
USA Gymnastics announced Sunday that the six-time Olympic medalist has opted not to compete on floor, where she won gold in Rio de Janeiro and placed second in qualifying last week.
Olympic attention to mental health: Can NBC coverage pivot?
July 31, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — If NBC's Michele Tafoya expected exultation or tears of joy from American swimmer Caeleb Dressel when she asked how it felt to reach his dream of an Olympic gold medal, that's not what she got.
Biles out of vault and uneven bars; beam and floor possible
July 31, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles is opting not to defend her Olympic vault title, pulling out of Sunday's event finals for both vault and uneven bars while she focuses on her mental health.
The 24-year-old six-time Olympic medalist removed herself from competition during the team finals on Tuesday and sat out Thursday's all-around final as well.
EXPLAINER: How ‘the twisties’ stopped Simone Biles cold
July 31, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Maybe Simone Biles made soaring through the air look too easy. It's not — a fact she and other gymnasts who constantly negotiate with the laws of physics have long understood.
Every leap, no matter how routine, requires an innate sense of time and space.
Olympic champ Sunisa Lee still focused on college, not fame
July 30, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Sunisa Lee's life changed the second she placed a gold medal around her neck. The newly minted Olympic gymnastic champion's plans, however, have not.
At least for now.
A day after a thrilling victory in the women's all-around, Lee insisted she's ready to go to start her college career at Auburn.
Olympic sponsors praise Simone Biles after withdrawal
July 29, 2021 GMTSimone Biles’ sponsors, including Athleta and Visa, are lauding her decision to put her mental health first and withdraw from the gymnastics team competition during the Olympics.
It's the latest example of sponsors praising athletes who are increasingly open about mental health issues.
Simone Biles told her replacement to ‘have fun,’ and she did
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Before American gymnast Jade Carey took the floor for her unexpected performance in the women’s Olympic all-around final on Thursday, she talked to her teammate, Simone Biles, whose exit from the competition meant Carey got the chance to fill her spot.
Big day for Dressel, Chinese in pool, Lee in gymnastics
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Caeleb Dressel got his first individual gold medal, the Chinese women put together a record-setting relay and American Sunisa Lee won the women's all-around gymnastics gold.
After the biggest action of the day session on Day 6 of the Tokyo Olympics came at the pool, Lee shined at night in gymnastics with teammate Simone Biles watching from the stands.
Simone Biles makes mental health the talk of the Tokyo Games
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Brittney Griner has long been open about her ongoing battle with depression, an ailment that triggered suicidal thoughts when she was younger and last year drove her out of the WNBA bubble because the isolation was too much to handle.
AP PHOTOS: Tears of victory, defeat for Tokyo Olympians
July 29, 2021 GMTAn equestrian hugging his horse. A surfer slumped over his board. A judoka raising her fists in jubilation while her opponent, prone on the mat, buries her face in her hands.
The Tokyo Olympics have focused attention on athletes’ mental health as never before, whether it is Japanese tennis player Naomi Osaka struggling to live up to the hopes of her home country or American gymnast Simone Biles saying she wasn’t in the right “headspace” to compete.
Olympic Stadium opens in Tokyo for start of track and field
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Track and Field begins competition on Day 6 of the Tokyo Games and four medal events will be decided in the pool in Thursday's coverage of the Olympics.
The gymnastics women’s all-around competition will go on without defending gold medalist Simone Biles, who pulled out citing struggles with her mental health.
Analysis: For Biles, peace comes with a price - the gold
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — When you spend the better part of a decade redefining the possible within your sport, the standards change. Good is no longer good enough. Sometimes, great isn't either.
Simone Biles received a crash course on it five years ago in Rio de Janeiro.
‘OK not to be OK’: Mental health takes top role at Olympics
July 29, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — For decades, they were told to shake it off or toughen up — to set aside the doubt, or the demons, and focus on the task at hand: winning. Dominating. Getting it done.
For years, Simone Biles was one of the very best at that.
EXPLAINER: How Biles’ withdrawals impact US gymnastics team
July 28, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — American gymnast Simone Biles' decision to withdraw from two marquee Olympic competitions to focus on her mental well-being changes the landscape somewhat dramatically for the U.S. gymnastics team in coming days.
Olympic champ Biles withdraws from all-around competition
July 28, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles will not defend her Olympic title.
The American gymnastics superstar withdrew from Thursday's all-around competition to focus on her mental well-being.
USA Gymnastics said in a statement on Wednesday that the 24-year-old is opting to not compete.
Ledecky wins gold, Biles drops out of all-around
July 28, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Katie Ledecky got her first gold medal of these Olympics, while Simone Biles pulled out of another event she came into the Games favored to win.
Ledecky bounced back from losses in her first two events in Tokyo to win the inaugural 1,500-meter freestyle for women by more than 4 seconds on Wednesday.
USOPC leader: ‘Thrilled’ Biles felt safe to make decision
July 28, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — In a way, the massive upheaval that upended the U.S. Olympic world over the past five years was designed for the sort of moment Simone Biles faced.
Not long after Biles withdrew from the gymnastics team final Tuesday night, the leader of the U.S.
Column: For Simone Biles, it finally all becomes too much
July 28, 2021 GMTFinally, it all became too much. Simone Biles felt it hours before she took the floor in Tokyo, a nervousness she couldn’t explain as she waited to deliver what everyone except her was sure would be a gold medal for the U.S.
Biles withdraws from gymnastics final to protect team, self
July 27, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles arrived in Tokyo as the star of the U.S. Olympic movement and perhaps the Games themselves. She convinced herself she was prepared for the pressure. That she was ready to carry the burden of outsized expectations.
Russian team topples American powerhouse with Biles out
July 27, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Angelina Melnikova, a celebrated gymnast from Russia, was gliding around the parallel bars when breaking news started rocketing around the world: Her competitor, American superstar Simone Biles, was scratched from the competition.
Rough day for stars Simone Biles, Naomi Osaka at Olympics
July 27, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Simone Biles came into the Olympics as perhaps the biggest star of the Games. Naomi Osaka was such a big headline act that she was given the honor to light the Olympic flame in her native country.
Without the crowd’s roar, Tokyo Olympians search for spirit
July 27, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The beloved American gymnast Sam Mikulak flipped off the parallel bars, stuck the landing and blew a kiss toward the camera. Those watching the men’s Olympics gymnastic competition on television back home knew they’d seen magic.
Biles tries to lead Team USA to third consecutive gold medal
July 27, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The greatest gymnast of all time must rally Team USA for the Americans to win their third consecutive gold medal.
Simone Biles and her squad trail the team representing the Russian Olympic Committee heading into Tuesday's women's gymnastics team final.
EXPLAINER: How the Russians caught the U.S. in gymnastics
July 26, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Tom Forster's words were jarring. Not because they were controversial or insincere, but because they simply hadn't been uttered by someone in charge of the USA Gymnastics women's program for a long, long time.
Russians top Biles, Americans in gymnastics qualifying
July 25, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — The trouble started early. A step out of bounds on floor exercise here. A short landing there.
Over the course of two hours on Sunday, the mistakes — some almost imperceptible, some laid bare for the world to see — kept piling up, chipping away at the aura USA Gymnastics has built over the past decade.
Biles and Ledecky headline Day 2 of Olympic competition
July 24, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Two of America's star Olympians headline Sunday's events at the Tokyo Games as Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky both begin their quests to rewrite the record books.
The U.S. men’s basketball team begins play, while surfing makes its Olympic debut and the women's skateboarders see their first action.
‘This can be me’: Black participation rising in gymnastics
July 24, 2021 GMTTOKYO (AP) — There's a phenomenon that happens every time Simone Biles appears on a screen inside Power Moves Gymnastics & Fitness.
As if flipping a switch, the young women of color on the gym's competitive team spring to life, fueled by the jolt of adrenaline that comes with watching the reigning Olympic champion test the limits of their sport.
Plenty at stake for NBC as COVID Olympics opening looms
July 16, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — If all goes well for NBC Universal over the next several weeks, Americans will be buzzing about the Olympic performances of Simone Biles, Gabby Thomas, Kevin Durant or some unexpected star.
Athletes go it alone in Tokyo as families watch from afar
July 15, 2021 GMTMichael Phelps reached for his mother’s hand through a chainlink fence near the pool. The 19-year-old swimmer had just won his first Olympic medal — gold, of course — at the 2004 Athens Games, and he wanted to share it with the woman who raised him on her own.
Roster: Three-quarters of US Olympians have college ties
July 13, 2021 GMTThree-quarters of the 613-person U.S. Olympic team that was released Tuesday competed in the American collegiate system — the most up-to-date number to illustrate the country's dependence on NCAA and other college programs to bring home medals.
Simone’s Showcase; Biles bidding for history in Tokyo
July 2, 2021 GMTSimone Biles is aware of the pressure. She welcomes it. Practically invites it. Look no further than the sequined goat she's nicknamed “Goldie” that occasionally finds its way onto her competition leotard.
American star Simone Biles aims for more history in Tokyo
July 1, 2021 GMTHIGHLIGHTS FROM RIO: American star Simone Biles turned the 2016 games into her own personal showcase, earning five medals (four gold, one bronze) and redefining what is possible along the way. The U.S.
History finally at hand, Biles headlines US gymnastics team
June 28, 2021 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — Simone Biles vs. herself remains a work in progress. The gymnastics superstar vs. the world?
Same as it ever was.
Next stop, Tokyo. And one more shot at history. And gold.
What pressure? Biles soars to lead at U.S. Olympic Trials
June 26, 2021 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — Simone Biles is primed for Tokyo.
The world and Olympic gymnastics champion put on a dazzling display during the U.S. Olympic Trials on Friday night, pulling out all the stops — well, almost all of them — on her way to a commanding lead and a spot in Japan next month.
USA Gymnastics trying to move past Nassar as Trials begin
June 23, 2021 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — USA Gymnastics is trying to shift the narrative away from the Larry Nassar scandal. President Li Li Leung wants to talk about the progress it has made over the last three years. The safeguards it is putting in place to prevent sexual abuse.
Judge dismisses murder charges against Simone Biles’ brother
June 15, 2021 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — A judge in Ohio has dismissed murder charges filed against the brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles, ruling Tuesday that prosecutors did not present evidence to sustain a conviction in a 2018 New Year’s Eve party shooting in Cleveland that left three men dead.
Judge asked to order arrest of witnesses in triple-slaying
June 12, 2021 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — Prosecutors in Ohio asked a judge to issue arrest warrants for three witnesses sought in the retrial of the brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles in a deadly 2018 New Year’s Eve party shootout that left three men dead.
Seven for Simone; Biles claims another US Gymnastics title
June 7, 2021 GMTFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Simone Biles toned it down. A little anyway. And soared even higher.
The 24-year-old gymnastics superstar claimed her record seventh U.S. title Sunday night, delivering another stunning — and stunningly easy — performance that served little doubt the pressure surrounding her bid to become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic championships in more than 50 years is only pushing her to even greater heights.
Biles in control once again at US Gymnastics Championships
June 5, 2021 GMTFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Looks like the rust is gone for Simone Biles. Well, almost.
The reigning Olympic and world gymnastics champion put on a dazzling show at the U.S. Championships on Friday night, posting a score of 59.550 that makes her seventh national title a practical certainty.
Biles and who? Olympic picture cloudy at US Championships
June 2, 2021 GMTFORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — World and Olympic champion Simone Biles can start getting ready for Tokyo. Six-time national champion Sam Mikulak, too.
After that, however, the picture of who will make the U.S.
Mistrial declared in murder trial of Simone Biles’ brother
May 25, 2021 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — A judge in Ohio declared a mistrial in the murder trial of the brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles after jurors said they had read legal paperwork that inadvertently was included in evidence given to them to review.
Biles makes history in return to competition at US Classic
May 23, 2021 GMTTime on her hands and a world-class gym at her disposal after the 2020 Olympics were postponed, Simone Biles started experimenting almost as a way to stave off the monotony of training.
Pretty soon a vault that she occasionally tinkered with for fun — the Yurchenko double pike — started to look like a vault she could pull off in competition.
Swan song? Biles gearing up for one more Olympic ride
May 20, 2021 GMTSPRING, Texas (AP) — Simone Biles hops up in a chair and lets out a small sigh.
“Only 12 more weeks,” the greatest gymnast of her generation and any other says with a hint of wistfulness.
1928 Amsterdam: Women’s track, gymnastics debut at Olympics
July 29, 2020 GMTEDITORS — With the Tokyo Olympics postponed for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, The Associated Press is looking back at the history of Summer Games. Here are some of the highlights of the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, the first time women were allowed to compete in gymnastics and athletics at an Olympics.
Biles wins third Laureus award; Messi, Hamilton share men’s
February 17, 2020 GMTBERLIN (AP) — Gymnastics star Simone Biles was named the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year for the third time on Monday, while Lionel Messi and Lewis Hamilton shared the men's award.
Biles won five gold medals, including a record fifth all-around title, at the 2019 world championships in Stuttgart.
Thursday Sports in Brief
December 27, 2019 GMTAWARDS
NEW YORK (AP) — Gymnast Simone Biles is the 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year.
The reigning world and Olympic champion edged U.S. women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe for the honor in a vote among AP member sports editors and AP beat writers.
Defending world champ Biles leads US women’s gymnastics team
September 23, 2019 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Simone Biles is heading to Germany to try to become the most decorated female gymnast in world championship history.
Biles headlines the six-woman U.S. team that will travel to Stuttgart early next month.
Brother of gymnast Simone Biles pleads not guilty to murder
September 13, 2019 GMTCLEVELAND (AP) — The brother of Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles has pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in a shooting that left three men dead at a 2018 New Year's Eve party in Cleveland.
New USA Gymnastics president points to ’positive trajectory”
August 8, 2019 GMTKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Li Li Leung wants Simone Biles to speak up whenever, however and wherever the Olympic gymnastics champion sees fit.
It's a freedom that Leung, USA Gymnastics president and chief executive officer, stressed isn't reserved for the sport's biggest star.