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Simone Biles Says She Should Have Quit A Long Time Before Tokyo 2020

Simone Biles says she should have quit a long time before Tokyo 2020

Simone Biles has admitted that she should have walked away from the Olympic programme “way before” the Tokyo Games.

Biles withdrew from five of her six finals at the Olympics in July to focus on her mental health after suffering from a phenomenon known as the twisties that affected her spatial awareness when competing.

The 24-year-old, who had been expected to add to the four gold medals she won at Rio 2016, revealed in 2018 that she was one of the United States gymnasts abused by team doctor Larry Nassar, who is now serving a life sentence in jail. Earlier this month, when testifying at a senate committee hearing into the FBI’s handling of the Nassar case, she revealed how the burden of dealing with being a victim of sexual abuse had increased the pressure she felt in Tokyo.

“If you looked at everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team,” she said in a New York Magazine interview. “I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years. It was too much.

“But I was not going to let him take something I’ve worked for since I was six years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.”

Simone Biles

Biles had been seeing a therapist in the run-up to the Olympics and said anxiety set in on her arrival in Tokyo. Explaining her need to withdraw from events as a result of the twisties, she said: “Say up until you’re 30 years old, you have your complete eyesight (then) one morning, you wake up, you can’t see shit, but people tell you to go on and do your daily job as if you still have your eyesight.

“You’d be lost, wouldn’t you? That’s the only thing I can relate it to. I have been doing gymnastics for 18 years. I woke up – lost it. How am I supposed to go on with my day?”

The 19-time world champion returned home from the rearranged Games with bronze in the balance beam, in addition to silver in the team competition.

In the interview, Biles also underlined the additional expectations on her due to her race. “As a Black woman, we just have to be greater,” she said.

“Because even when we break records and stuff, they almost dim it down, as if it’s just normal.”

Biles is currently touring America with other members of the United States’ gymnastics team and has not decided if she will return to competition.

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Police arrest 9 suspects over communal crisis in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi State has arrested nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in Itamah area of Kogi.

The crisis occurred after the assassination of the community traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday.

The late Chief Job Shagari was on Aug. 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.

The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families — the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.

But the police said they had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects.

“What the police are calling for now is for peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.

“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.

“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.

A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.

Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.

Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family

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Police arrest two suspects with AK-47 rifle in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects with a fabricated AK-47 rifle and ammunition in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, September 12, 2024. He said the suspects were nabbed by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit while trying to sell the rifle for N580,000.

“The Bauchi State Police Command is unwavering in its efforts to combat the proliferation of small and light arms within the state. In furtherance of this commitment, the Taskforce operatives, led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to the Command, have successfully apprehended two suspects in possession of a fabricated AK47 rifle and ammunition at Boto Market in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi state,” the statement read.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects, who travelled from Plateau State to Boto market, negotiated the sale of the rifle for N580,000.

“The apprehended suspects are: Abdulgafar Mohammed, male, 18 years old, from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and Yusuf Isa, male, 25 years old, from the same address.

“A discreet investigation is ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

Under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Mohammad, psc, Anipr, the Command has escalated efforts to locate and apprehend the manufacturers of such weapons, irrespective of their location. Ultimately, the Command aims to assure the public of its dedication to eliminating illegal firearms in the state and urges the citizens to understand that.

“Mankind must put an end to organised crime, or organized crime will put an end to mankind”, and on the “ keyboard of life, let us as citizens always keep a finger on the escape key to survive.”

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Police arrest 19 year old undergraduate for kidnapping, killing of a female student in Kogi

The Kogi State Police Command has arrested Paul Jeremiah, 20, for the alleged murder of Damilola, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University, Lafia, Kogi State.

SP William Ovie Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed Jeremiah’s arrest on Thursday in Lokoja.

According to him, investigation is underway to determine the details surrounding the incident.

Damilola was reported missing on September 4, 2024.

Reports indicate that Jeremiah and his accomplices initially demanded a ransom of N10 million for her release.

However, after receiving N400,000 from Damilola’s family, Jeremiah, said to be a Kaduna State indigene, was dissatisfied with the amount and subsequently killed Damilola and mutilated her body.

The Police spokesman did not disclose how Jeremiah was apprehended but confirmed that he is currently in custody.