Topline
Gymnastics Ireland has apologized to the family of a young Black girl who was excluded from a Dublin events ceremony that saw at least a dozen other children awarded medals back in 2022, after the video went viral in recent days and caught the attention of American gymnastics superstar Simone Biles.
USA’s Simone Biles looks on during the Tokyo Olympic Games on July 27, 2021.
Key Facts
Gymnastics Ireland on Monday said in a statement it is “deeply sorry” and will work to ensure “nothing like this will happen again” after the girl’s mother spoke to the Irish Independent anonymously and said she planned to take the issue to the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation in Switzerland.
In a now-viral video that started circulating several days ago, an Irish gymnastics official is seen walking down a line of young athletes and awarding each a medal, but she skips over the one Black girl standing in the middle of the group.
Confusion is on the girl’s face when the official skips her, and the one-minute-and-20-second video shows photographers, coaches and others walking by without stopping— it ends with the child looking around the floor as every other athlete stands in line and is photographed with their medal.
Gymnastics Ireland said Friday the parents of the girl filed a complaint alleging racist behavior and the organization reached a “resolution” with the family last month, but the girl’s mother told the Independent she wanted the agency to issue a public apology and wants the video removed from social media for fear of retribution.
Gymnastics Ireland said the official in question described the incident as an “honest error” and issued a written apology to the family, but the girl’s mother said the note was addressed “to whom it concerns” was not a genuine apology.
The governing body also said the girl did get her medal after the ceremony, and that she still participates in gymnastics.
Crucial Quote
“when this video was circulating, her parents reached out. It broke my heart to see, so I sent her a little video,” Biles—who is widely considered among the greatest gymnasts of all time—said on X Friday. “there is no room for racism in any sport or at all !!!!”
Key Background
Supporters of the family reached out to Biles and shared the video privately after the incident last year, the Independent reported, and Biles sent her a personal video that said she was “shocked.” I “wanted to let you know that you deserve a medal just like all of the other girls,” Biles reportedly said in the video. “I wanted to say I am rooting for you from here.” The video was met with “screams and tears of joy” from the girl. Biles in 2020 opened up about her own experiences with racism within the sport. One athlete, Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito, at the World Gymnastics Championships in 2013 was reported as saying “if we painted our skin black, maybe we would all win” after Biles beat her out for a beam medal. Biles became the first Black woman to win the all-around title that year. Ferlirto placed 11th. Biles in 2020 said she feels like “every Black athlete or colored athlete could say that they’ve experienced it through their career.”
Further Reading
Gymnastics Ireland ‘unreservedly apologise’ to black girl not given medal at event ceremony (BBC)
Family of girl snubbed at medal ceremony want public apology from Gymnastics Ireland (Irish Independent)
She’s Back: Simone Biles To Compete For First Time Since Walking Out Of Tokyo In 2021 (Forbes)
Simone Biles’ Return Sends Ticket Prices Soaring 150% For Saturday’s U.S. Classic Gymnastics Contest (Forbes)