"He can't do cartwheels"- Andy Roddick hits out at Republican politician for "weak gymnast" comment about Simone Biles in resurfaced moment

Andy Roddick recently criticized Republican politician and Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina, Mark Robinson, for his insensitive comments about Simone Biles, calling her a "weak gymnast" in a resurfaced video. Robinson made the remarks following Biles' decision to withdraw from the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 due to mental health concerns.

During the Tokyo Olympic Games, Biles withdrew from the women's all-around final due to experiencing the twisties, a dangerous condition in gymnastics where athletes lose their spatial awareness while in the air, putting them at risk of serious injury.

At a campaign event in 2021, Robinson mocked Biles for her decision to withdraw from the Games, calling her a "weak gymnast" who quits when faced with challenges.

“I'm wore out and I'm tired. But here it is whenever I think about being wore out and being tired, you know, somebody get this on their phone and it will probably end on Facebook, but I ain't no little, weak gymnast that quits when the going gets tough,” Robinson said.

Mark Robinson compared her actions to his own demanding work, emphasizing that he works for the people, not for personal glory of winning gold medals like Biles

“My generation’s cut from a different cloth. I don't quit when the going gets tough. Been plenty of times I've been in the car tired, dog tired, wanted to turn around and go back home. You see I'm not doing this for myself. I'm not like somebody out there flipping around on TV on some monkey bars out there trying to get a gold medal for myself. I'm doing this for a bigger cause,” he added

Reacting to Mark Robinson's comments, Andy Roddick took to social media to criticize the Lieutenant Governor. He stated that he found it absurd that Robinson would label the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) of gymnastics. Simone Biles, a "weak little gymnast" when he himself couldn't even perform a simple cartwheel.

“Imagine this guy calling the GOAT a weak little gymnast. I’ll refrain from being nasty ………. He can’t do cartwheels," Andy Roddick posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Andy Roddick defended Simone Biles from critics: "Winning gold medals when the pressure is on, that’s mental toughness"

Andy Roddick

Andy Roddick had once shown support for both Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, wo had opened up about their struggles with mental health.

Roddick stated that mental health should not be confused with mental toughness. He expressed that Biles and Osaka demonstrate mental toughness when competing in their respective sports, but that does not mean they are immune to mental health challenges

“One of the things that I want to be like super clear about at least from where I sit is that mental health doesn’t mean mental toughness, right. You’re going to sit here and tell me Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka when they get into their preferred arenas aren’t mentally tough? Give me a break," Andy Roddick said.

The former US Open champion highlighted that athletes like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, who have achieved great success under immense pressure, exemplify mental toughness . However, he clarified that mental toughness should not be mistaken for mental health

“Going, you know, the distance in matches, closing out Grand Slam events, winning gold medals, you know, when all the pressure is on, that’s mental toughness. It’s not a synonym for mental health. Let’s be very clear about that," he added.

Most recently, Simone Biles secured a gold medal in the women's artistic team all-around event at the 2024 Paris Olympics.