Black parents blast Irish gymnastics organization after daughter was skipped over during medal ceremony
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A gymnastics organization in Dublin, Ireland remains under fire after a young Black girl was inexplicably skipped over during a medal ceremony in March 2022. On Monday (Sept. 25), governing body Gymnastics Ireland took to their Instagram account to “unreservedly apologize to the gymnast and her family for the upset that has been caused.”
“What happened on the day should not have happened and for that we are deeply sorry. We are also sorry that what has happened since that date has caused further upset,” the message read. “Please know that at all times we have been acting in good faith and with the best of intentions in trying to resolve this very difficult and sensitive matter.” The post further stated that steps were being taken to ensure that such a mishap won’t be repeated in the future.
In response, the parents of the girl, who have not been named, sat down with BBC News for an interview that was published on Thursday (Sept. 28). The mother reacted by calling the apology “almost useless.” “There was no empathy shown, I feel like it’s not true,” she stated. “It’s been 18 months and it seems like they were pressured to give me an apology. I cried for so long and then millions of people cried with me before I could get this.”
Many have blasted GymSTART, the program that held the sports event, over what’s been described as a racially motivated situation. As previously reported by REVOLT, one individual in particular was Olympic gold medalist Jordan Chiles, who reposted a viral video of the incident on social media.
“Gymternet, please help me find this little girl,” she tweeted. “This is beyond hurtful on so many levels.” Chiles’ Team USA teammate Simone Biles also chimed in on the alarming situation, saying, “When this video was circulating, her parents reached out. It broke my heart to see, so I sent her a little video. There is no room for racism in any sport or at all!”
At the time, Gymnastics Ireland issued a statement claiming that the official who oversaw medal distribution rectified the issue by providing one to the unidentified girl after the fact. They also asserted that a letter of regret was issued to the family directly.
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