Gymnastics Ireland is embroiled in a racism row after a startling video showed a young black competitor being skipped over during a medal ceremony as her white counterparts were each given an award.
The Team USA gymnast was among scores online condemning the actions of the official, writing on X that there was no room for racism in any sport or at all.
The video shows a lineup of young gymnasts awaiting their awards, with the little girl excitedly waiting for her medal before being ignored.
Gymnastics Ireland has now apologised for the incident after the girl’s parents alleged the snub was due to racism.
The sports body said it engaged immediately with the competitor’s parents following their complaint over the incident.
The girl’s mother said the family were very upset at how their daughter had been treated by Gymnastics Ireland and that they believe she was ignored because she’s black, the Irish Independent reports.
Many have pointed out that the official strode off with the last remaining medal at the end of the clip, with all the children in the lineup receiving one apart from the girl.
Gymnastics Ireland said that it engaged with the woman, who’s now no longer a member of the sporting body after she decided not to renew her membership.
They said she accepted fully that what had happened had not been acceptable but stressed that it had not been intentional. The official concerned said that upon realising the mistake they immediately rectified it and ensured that the competitor concerned was presented with her medal before she left the Field of Play (FoP).
The official also voiced profound regret for what they described as an honest mistake and requested the opportunity to apologise in person to the competitor and her family. This request was initially declined.
A written apology provided by the identified person has since been issued to the competitor and her family.
In a statement which said that initially, they attempted to address the matter through the informal process of their discipline and complaints policy. However, following a series of communications with the parents they informed Gymnastics Ireland that they wouldn’t be engaging in the process and were seeking legal advice.
Footage of the presentation in Dublin in March 2022 has since gone viral online.
This is truly awful, the poor child, and what was the explanation from the medal giver? Evidently, it was a mistake. She should have been disciplined because she carried out a spiteful, despicable act, that, on the surface, seems to be a racist-driven act. She just strolled off with the medal still in her hand and she didn’t go back to rectify it, which looks very intentional.
This definitely did not look like a mistake. In what way could it have been a mistake? This woman should have been publicly sacked, but she quit before that happened. She should have been named and shamed.
This young girl is owed one big apology. And how was this unintentional? She had one job to do!
Whether this was a simple mistake or intentional, the poor child would have been left devastated because while all her fellow gymnasts were receiving their medals, she was being overlooked, and this girl will remember this sickening, hateful incident for the rest of her life.
She must have been heartbroken. Hopefully, this won’t hold her back and she will end up being a super gymnast and win tons of medals.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 