“Made the Situation Worse”: Simone Biles Couldn’t Save Herself From Being Bothered by a Harsh Comment in 2013

Words can sometimes hurt more than actions. And while some might have the heart to apologize for them, others tend to leave a scar. Superstar gymnast Simone Biles once faced a similar situation when a journalist and a particular gymnast organization made racist comments publicly. While the journalist apologized, things went differently with the organization.

In her book Courage to Soar, the gymnast recounts some sour moments of her life. One of those moments involved racism in the gymnastics field. While Biles always tries not to let negativity affect her, the comments made by one of the gymnastics federations upset her.

Simone Biles recounts a racist comment within her sport

The superstar gymnast began practicing the sport at the age of 8. She took a liking to the sport early on and was good at it. However, she has faced many ups and downs throughout her career – in the form of tough situations or harsh comments. One of the instances where the champion faced racism was in 2013 after she won accolades at the World Championships.

After the championship, Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito tried to insinuate that Biles won due to her color. While the comment did bother the Olympian gymnast, her mother advised against reacting. However, things went downhill from there. The spokesperson for the Italian Gymnastics Federation tried to justify Carlotta’s statement and, according to the star, “made the situation worse”.

“Our Gymnastics Life Span Was Shorter”: Simone Biles Had a Tough Time Accepting Unfair Difference Between Men and Women in the Sport

The spokesperson defended the Italian gymnast by saying that she was referring to a recent trend where athletes of color were well-known for their power. Whereas, the same trend “penalized” the artistic Eastern European style. There was a lot to unpack, and Biles wasn’t happy with this statement.

Biles’ thoughts in her book

While the Olympic gold medalist could move past Carlotta’s statement, the federation’s justification felt upsetting. The Italian Gymnastics Federation essentially suggested that a gymnast couldn’t be both powerful and graceful. Biles exclaimed, “I absolutely didn’t agree.” She cited examples of white gymnasts like Mary Lou Retton who was known for their power. Whereas fans praised gymnasts like Dominique Dawes for their grace.

The federation later apologized for both statements and the entire fiasco. Biles, on the other hand, was glad to leave the situation behind and move forward.

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