Simone Biles has shared a powerful message against racism after a resurfaced video showed how a young Black gymnast was snubbed at a medal ceremony last year.
The Olympic gymnast, 26, took to social media on 22 September to respond to the video, which was taken in March 2022. The viral clip showed sporting officials at a GymSTART competition in Ireland handing out medals to gymnasts, leaving behind the only Black girl in the group.
When the video was reposted to X - formerly known as Twitter - over the weekend, one user prompted Biles to share her reaction to the video, writing: “I would love to see @Simone_Biles reach out to this girl if she’s able.”
In response, Biles said that the video was shared privately with her when it surfaced in 2022, and the girl’s parents had reached out to her. “When this video was circulating, her parents reached out. It broke my heart to see, so I sent her a little video,” she said.
“There is no room for racism in any sport or at all!!!!” the four-time Olympic champion added.
Gymnastics Ireland has since issued a statement regarding the incident, but the young girl’s family dismissed its apology over claims it was not genuine. Gymnastics Ireland said it had received a complaint about racism from the girl’s parents and one of their members that led to an investigation, and both parties “agreed to enter mediation” which led to a “resolution agreed by both parties in August 2023”.
“We are aware of a video that has been posted on social media relating to an incident that took place over 18 months ago at a GymSTART event in March 2022 for which we received a complaint from the parents of one of our members,” they said in a statement on Friday. “Subsequently both parties agreed to enter mediation which was independently facilitated by Sports Disputes Solutions Ireland as per our policy/procedure which led to a resolution agreed by both parties in August 2023.”
Gymnastics Ireland said the official involved in the incident “expressed deep regret for what they described as an honest error”, adding that the official’s request for an opportunity to apologise in person to the girl was declined by the family.
The Irish sports body added: “A written apology provided by the identified individual has since been issued to the competitor and her family.”
In a statement to the Irish Independent, the Black gymnast’s mother said she believed her daughter was ignored during the medal ceremony because of her identity. The woman also claimed that the sports body failed to issue a public apology and was “covering” for the official, before adding that claims the issue had been settled following mediation was “incorrect”.
“We are often the only Black family at gymnastics events and this has been very hurtful for us,” the mother said. “Now eight million people have seen the video. From Pakistan to Ethiopia they can see this was wrong but Gymnastics Ireland still can’t accept it and say sorry.”
This is not the first time Biles has spoken out against racism in sports. In 2020, the athlete opened up about her first experience with racism and how it overshadowed an important moment in her career. During an appearance on the Today show, she recalled encountering racism for the first time in 2013 when she was 16.
“I didn’t really notice racism until 2013,” Biles said. “I was on a world scene, and what made the news was, another gymnast saying that if we painted our skin black maybe we would all win because I had beaten her out of beam medal, and she got upset.
“And that [was] really the news, rather than me winning worlds,” she added, referring to Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito, who made the comment to her team member after Biles was awarded a bronze medal at the 2013 World Championships in Antwerp, Belgium.
She continued: “Other than that, it happens everyday. And I feel like every Black athlete or coloured athlete could say that they have experienced it through their career but we just have to keep going for those little ones looking up to us.”
“It doesn’t matter what you look like. You can strive for greatness, and you can be great,” Biles said.
The US Olympian has also voiced her support for the Black Lives Matter movement, explaining in a Vogue interview that she believed the global protests following the killing of George Floyd were “the start of change”.
“We need change. We need justice for the Black community,” Biles told the outlet. “With the peaceful protests it’s the start of change, but it’s sad that it took all of this for people to listen.”
The Independent has contacted representatives for Biles for comment.
