Shocked Simone Biles? Step For Young Gymnast?s Racism Incident Eases The Pain For Victim Family: ?She?s On My Side?

A horrendous act of discrimination took place in the world of gymnastics last year leaving everyone in shock. It wasn’t until this August that the sports body acted seriously on this matter, despite the complaint from the parents. A while ago a clip was released where a young gymnast was disregarded by an official who was giving away honors at an international event last year. The matter quickly escalated on the internet, resulting in angry critics asking that the gymnastics body take significant action.

A trailblazer in the sport American elite Simone Biles issued a bold remark before entering the international competition. In a candid confession, a delayed response from the guilty committee came through after a prolonged wait. Holding command both on and off mats, how did the Olympic gold medalist comfort the hurting victim?

Simone Biles comforts gymnast robbed of gymnastics medal

It all happened in March 2022 at the GymStart competition in Dublin, when gymnastics novices received medals for participation but a little black girl did not get one on the podium. The girl’s family believes her daughter was the victim of racism and chooses not to give away their credential in order to avoid racial harassment. Simone Biles took a stand, pushing the Irish gymnastics staff to issue a public apology. The gymnast also spoke about Simone’s support during the tough time and said, “she’s the best gymnast ever and I was really happy to hear that she’s on my side.”

Following a public uproar, the inclusion activist group “Sport Against Racism Ireland” took up the case of the family. The body forwarded the case to American civil rights activist Professor Harry Edwards, who then contacted the winningest gymnast Simone Biles. She offered her support and asserted that the family deserved recognition in a recorded video. She said, “I wanted to let you know that I saw how you were treated at your GymStart event recently. I was completely shocked. I want you to know that you deserve a medal just like the other girls”

The young girl described the clip as an empowering moment in her life. Despite the Irish apology her angered mother emphasized the painful phase. According to her, the public apology came after 18 months “because the world wanted them to. There was no empathy shown,” she went on to say how she “cried for so long” joined by millions who saw the video. And even went on to label it “nearly useless,” she told BCC. How did the sports body respond to the racist allegations?

Gymnastics Ireland’s apology to gymnast’s family

A statement released by Gymnastics Ireland revealed that in March 2022, they received a complaint alleging discriminatory behavior from the parents. The statement was updated in August 2023, mentioning an agreement reached by both parties. After the incident went viral, the officials involved expressed deep regret for what they described as “an honest error.”

Gymnastics Ireland confirmed that the official delivered a written apology and that the child received her medal after the ceremony. On September 25, the body expressed deep regret, stating that they need to do more to guarantee that nothing like this happens again. The governing body also condemned “any form of racism”.

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The gymnastics queen, Simone Biles continues to be an unwavering advocate of newcomers, making her sport a welcoming environment and wishes only the best for everyone who takes up the sport.

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