Gymnast medal controversy: International attention focuses on Ireland

“Simone Biles speaks out on ‘racism’ in viral gymnastics Ireland video.” New York Post.

“See heartbreaking moment young black gymnast appears to be skipped at medal ceremony.” CNN.

“Black girl not given medal at Irish gymnastics competition.” The Australian.

“Gymnastics Ireland failed to apologise despite row over medal snub for black girl.” The Guardian.

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“Gymnastics Ireland ‘deeply sorry’ to black girl ignored at medal ceremony.” Al Jazeera.

“Irish gymnastics body apologies after black girl is shunned at ceremony.” The New York Times.

“Irish gymnastics group apologises after a black girl was skipped at a medal ceremony.” National Public Radio US (NPR).

“Gymnastics Ireland apologises after viral video of young black gymnast denied medal resurfaces.” India Today.

“Gymnastics Ireland issues unreserved apology to black girl not given medal at event ceremony.” BBC.

“Gymnastics Ireland apologises after black athlete is snubbed at medal ceremony.” NBC News.

For several days now an event that occurred at Sport Ireland National Indoor Arena on March 6th, 2022, has continued to make international headlines. It was a GymStart event, held by Gymnastics Ireland over two days. Gymnastics in Ireland is a relatively small sports community, with the organisation having some 36,000 members.

What happened that March day last year has since been viewed more than 50 million times in a video that went viral last week. A line of young female gymnasts stand awaiting their medals from the judge. (All gymnasts who take part in Gymnastics Ireland’s GymStart events receive a participation medal.)

The judge passes down the line, draping beribboned medals over each small head – but omits to present one to the only black child present. The nine-year-old child is clearly puzzled, as are her fellow young gymnasts. The children either side of her, who have both received their own medals, lean in and say something inaudible. The omitted child then looks tentatively down the line with a strained smile, as if wondering if the judge is going to return to her. She does not.

In the video a photographer with a professional camera can also be seen; photographing the medal ceremony.

What happened since then is an unedifying and messy series of events, involving various different organisations: Gymnastics Ireland; Sport Ireland; Sports Against Racism in Ireland (Sari).

Following the ceremony the child’s family made a complaint. At all times of the process the family has requested anonymity. Three days later, on March 9th, the judge from the event wrote a letter of apology, which The Irish Times has seen. It read, in total: “I would like to apologise to your daughter and your family for any hurt caused on the day of the Gymnastics GymStart event on the 6th March 2022.”

Over the last week Gymnastics Ireland has posted three statements on its website in relation to this case; on September 22nd, 24th and 25th respectively.

On September 22nd, in reference to the initial complaint from the family, it posted: “The complaint alleged racist behaviour by one of our officials at the event. On receipt of the email, as per our policy and standard practice in relation to complaints, we investigated the matter. Gymnastics Ireland immediately contacted the family to express concern and reassure them that the matter was being investigated.

“We identified the official concerned and informed the individual in question of the complaint. The official in question accepted fully that what had happened had not been acceptable but stressed that it had not been intentional. A written apology provided by the identified individual has since been issued to the competitor and her family.”

It is unclear whether this “written apology” from the judge refers to the one dated three days after the completion or to one dated March 29th, 2022. The Irish Times has also seen the text of this much longer apology. It reads in part:

“I want to apologise truly for upsetting you and your lovely child at the competition in Dublin recently with Gymnastics Ireland … Just in terms from my side I would like to explain myself if that would be okay with you guys.

“It was my first time with Gymnastics Ireland ever as I was a trainee judge at the competition so I was very nervous which I am not using as an excuse but is the truth.

“It was a genuine, genuine mistake on my part. I had in my head thought that I gave your child the medal but obviously was wrong but in my head I had thought I had given out all the participation medals out to all the gymnasts. I was my own given [sic] out the medals so I was a bit nervous too. When I realised my mistake I ran back straight to get your lovely child a participation medal and apologise to your lovely child straight away.

“I hope you can accept my apology but completely understand if you did not want too [sic]… as a person myself I would never ever ever be racist of anything in that aspect. I also hate HATE racism against anyone.”

The child’s mother has subsequently stated that this second letter of apology was initially withheld from them by Gymnastics Ireland.

A lengthy mediation process then began between the family and Gymnastics Ireland. This was facilitated by the Sports Disputes Solutions Ireland. A resolution was reached in August of this year.

When asked what form the mediation took between Gymnastics Ireland and the family, Gymnastics Ireland replied:

“The complaint was made by the parents against the official. Our complaints resolution process provides for an informal process between the two parties and if that is unsuccessful then mediation. Given that the complaint was made by the parents about the official, Gymnastics Ireland considered it appropriate that the parents and the official attend the mediation, which according to the Sports Disputes Solution Ireland, the independent body overseeing the mediation, was successful in resolving the complaint as between the parents and the official.”

Was there a monetary payment made to the family, as part of the mediation settlement?

Gymnastics Ireland replied: “Meditation is a private and confidential process between both parties only.”

At some point last year the now-viral video privately made its way to Simone Biles, seven times Olympic medallist, and indisputably the most famous gymnast in the world. Biles subsequently sent a private message of support to the young girl.

The person who filmed the video on the day has not been publicly identified. When asked by The Irish Times if this person was affiliated to Gymnastics Ireland, it replied. “The person who filmed the video you mention was not part of Gymnastics Ireland media team. Spectators can use cameras at our events.”

Whomever made the film of the events of that day in March last year either made the decision to pass it on to someone else, or themselves posted it to social media on Friday, September 22nd. At that point it immediately became an international story. Biles then posted on X (formerly Twitter), “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.”

Prior to this becoming a global story both Sport Ireland and Sari were aware of the case. As Sari stated this week: “In March 2022, Sari requested the Minister of Sport to conduct an inquiry into the incident but apart from an acknowledgment by the Department, we heard nothing further. This request was also copied to the CEO of Sport Ireland.”

The chief executive of Sport Ireland is Una May. In September of last year May attended a SportsFest event in Dublin organised by Sari. The young gymnast’s family were also in attendance. On Monday of this week, September 25th, as part of its ongoing coverage of the story, the Guardian reported what occurred at that event, as told to it by Sari co-founder Ken McCue.

On the day May was asked about the medal omission ceremony earlier that year; and she was already familiar with the story. McCue told the Guardian: “[May] said it wasn’t a racist incident at all, the medals just got tangled,” “I said to her: ‘That’s disgraceful, you want to change your mind on that one,’ and she just walked away.” In the same story, the Guardian reported that Perry Ogden, Sari’s chief executive, had “also witnessed the conversation, and confirmed McCue’s recollection of her comments”.

The Irish Times asked Gymnastics Ireland if the medals got “tangled up” on the day in question.

It replied on Wednesday of this week: “That may well have happened but unfortunately this far removed from the event we can’t confirm one way or another.”

The Irish Times asked Sport Ireland what comment it had to make concerning the Guardian’s report this week about Una May’s remarks. It responded with a statement from May, in which she did not address the specific quotes attributed to her by the Guardian.

It said: “For context I attended the SportsFest event over a year ago, at which time the complaint was under investigation by Gymnastics Ireland and I had an informal conversation around what happened and the possibility that it may have happened inadvertently. I was in no way definitive in my comments nor did I intend any upset to be caused.

“My concern is for the family involved and I am very sorry for any hurt my comments have caused them.

“I am making contact with the family directly with a view to meeting them. I would like to hear of their experiences and their advice on how we can learn from this and support national governing bodies to do better. I want to reiterate that similar to the organisation I lead and represent, I condemn racism in any form. It has no place in sport or society.

“I genuinely had no idea that the family was upset by the comment and would have moved to reassure and clarify earlier if the opportunity had arisen.”

Sport Ireland also provided its own statement which said: “Sport Ireland’s position throughout was that the incident in question should not have happened and should be investigated by Gymnastics Ireland.

“Sport Ireland was informed that the complaint was being investigated and that following a mediation process, a resolution was agreed upon. It is now clear that the process has fallen short as it has not provided a satisfactory outcome for the family involved. Sport Ireland is disappointed with this outcome and has asked Gymnastics Ireland to provide a full review of how the complaint was handled to ensure we learn from this process.”

On Monday of this week, after which point the video had gone viral on social media over the weekend, Gymnastics Ireland posted a public apology on its website. It read in part:

“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.

“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. We offered an in-person apology after the incident as we believed this was the best approach. Subsequently we felt mediation was the best way forward.”

When asked by The Irish Times why it took Gymnastics Ireland so long to issue a public apology to the young girl and her family, it replied: “Gymnastics Ireland fully accepts that it has taken far too long for Gymnastics Ireland to make an apology to the family. The child and her parents have been let down. Gymnastics Ireland accepts that its complaint resolution procedures, if implemented correctly, would have resulted in this complaint being resolved much quicker. The delays arose for a variety of reasons including human error, threats of legal action, intervention by third parties and our own understanding that this was a complaint from the parents against the official.”

At the centre of all this is a young girl now aged 11 and a family who have found themselves the unwilling participants in a global story. The girl’s mother has now called for all Irish sporting bodies to introduce antiracism and unconscious bias training for officials. Speaking to The Irish Times this week about her daughter, she said: “As a child, going through that was very difficult for her, does that not knock her confidence?”

The family had tried to deal with the matter in a “low key” manner, she said.

However, the fact that the video of the medal ceremony was widely shared online recently had made things “very difficult” for the family. “I’m tired in every part of my body, it’s been a combination of emotions,” the mother said.

Speaking in recent days the mother told the BBC she felt there was “no excuse for what happened” to her daughter.

Gymnastics Ireland “only sent us an apology because the world wanted them to,” she said, in reference to the public apology issued last weekend.

The family had told their daughter “regardless of your skin colour, people shouldn’t treat you different,” the mother said.