Thirteenth International Conference on Sport & Society

Abstract

In 2021, two of the world’s most prominent athletes did something previously thought unthinkable: They walked away from a major international competition. First, Naomi Osaka refused to participate in the French Open tennis tournament because she was obligated to speak to the media, an element of the athlete-media relationship she found uncomfortable. Second, Simone Biles exited the gymnastics team event during the Tokyo Olympics; she said she risked physical injury and the potential success of her teammates if she did not admit her mental health was suffering. This manuscript examines U.S. media coverage of the decisions made by both athletes. The paper’s number one research question is: Did the media recognize the changing national and international conversation about mental health? This study also includes an element of advocacy.