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Simone Biles, the celebrated Olympic gymnast, recently voiced her concerns over a viral video that exposed racial discrimination during a gymnastics medal ceremony conducted by Gymnastics Ireland. In the video, a young Black gymnast was noticeably skipped over for an award while her white peers received recognition, sparking outrage.
Biles, aged 26, didn't remain silent about this unsettling incident. She took to the video's comments section, expressing her heartfelt support for the affected gymnast. Simone revealed that upon seeing the video, the young gymnast's parents reached out to her, which deeply saddened her. In response, she sent a personal video message to uplift the gymnast and conveyed her strong disapproval of racism within the realm of sports and society at large.
Following the backlash and allegations of racism, Gymnastics Ireland issued a public apology on their website. They claimed that the issue had been resolved through mediation in August 2023, a statement contested by the gymnast's family, who argued that a sincere apology had not been received.
The incident garnered further attention when U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles joined Simone Biles in condemning the episode, emphasizing the deep hurt it caused on multiple levels. The controversy serves as a stark reminder that racial discrimination has no place in the world of sports or any facet of society.