This excellent column by Liriel Higa in the New York Times tells a story that sounds like something out of an Ayn Rand novel. Simone Biles, the commanding gymnast, has added a new move of extraordinary difficulty to her repertoire, but the judges have minimized the “difficulty” score they will award for the very difficult move because it is . . . very difficult.


Biles can do it, but it is not clear that anybody else can, and the judges worry that lesser athletes might hurt themselves if they attempt it. They are, in effect, dinging Simone Biles for being too much better than the next-best competitor.