Simone Biles, Olympic Champion, Reacts to Viral Video of Black Girl denied medal

Simone Biles, a four-time Olympic champion, has voiced her strong stance against racism in sports following the circulation of a viral video depicting an incident at an Irish gymnastics event. In March 2022, during a Gymstart event held in Dublin, a group of children received medals, but a young black girl was conspicuously omitted from the honors.

Simone Biles was quoted saying "there is no room for racism in any sport" after a video went viral on social media of a black girl not being given a medal at an Irish gymnastics event ceremony.

Recently, this disturbing incident garnered widespread attention on social media platforms, sparking outrage and condemnation. Biles, upon viewing the distressing video, expressed her sorrow, stating that it deeply moved her.

In response to the escalating public scrutiny generated by the video, Gymnastics Ireland issued an official statement on Friday. They revealed that in March 2022, they received a complaint from the girl's parents, alleging racist behavior. Subsequently, an independent mediation process took place, leading to a resolution that both parties agreed upon in August 2023.

As part of their investigative efforts, Gymnastics Ireland acknowledged that the involved official expressed profound regret for what they characterized as an honest mistake. In an attempt to make amends, the official issued a written apology, and the girl eventually received her medal, albeit after the ceremony.

Nevertheless, concerns persist within the family of the affected girl. Speaking anonymously to the Irish Independent, the girl's mother expressed her dissatisfaction with Gymnastics Ireland's failure to issue a public apology. In response to these concerns, she has taken the matter to the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation in Switzerland.

The mother also voiced apprehension that her family may become targets of racist abuse due to the widespread circulation of the video and has urged social media companies to remove it. According to her, the family believes that their daughter was overlooked at the ceremony solely because of her race, an assertion supported by the video evidence.

"We are often the only black family at gymnastics events, and this has been very hurtful for us," the mother revealed to the newspaper. "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."

Additionally, it was reported that Simone Biles had previously reached out to the young girl, offering her support through a video message last year.