With the 2016 Olympics underway, the world has seen such amazing and breathtaking accomplishments in sports by people who have come together to represent their home countries. We have seen people shatter records, some were their own records, and new comers completely blow their competition out of the water. And, while all of the events have had their greatest moments, there has been a lot of negative talk about some of the athletes. Specifically women of color.
The biggest example of this has to do with Simone Biles who dominated the world of gymnastics when she won three gold medals and one bronze medal. Her impossible flips and the incredible height she reaches blew viewers away. Everyone was talking about her and she soon became a star among Team USA. Now, you may be thinking that it would be impossible for people to put down such a high level of athleticism but you would be wrong. Almost immediately after Biles won her first gold medal, social media exploded calling her names I will not repeat and accusing her of winning based on the color of her skin. While that accusation may sound outlandish coming from an unknown Twitter user, it is not the first time someone said this.
Back in 2013, when Biles became the first black female gymnast to win a world championship, one of her competitors, Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito, who finished fifth, told a journalist that "I told Vanny (Ferrari) that next time we should also paint our skin black, so then we could win too." Although Ferlito backtracked and apologized for her comments, it didn't help that an official from the Italian Gymnastics Federation explained that Ferlito was referring to a new trend in gymnastics that "is going towards a technique that opens up new chances to athletes of colour (well-known for power) while penalising the more artistic Eastern European style that allowed Russians and Romanians to dominate the sport for years." Both of these people were trying to dismiss Biles' accomplishments as a fluke just because she happened to be born black and therefore only won because either the judges took pity on her or because the sport is now "playing to the advantages of black athletes".
Let me say this loud and clear: Simone Biles, and any athlete for that matter, are not great because of the color of their skin. These athletes are great because they work hard to achieve their dreams. They cut out a lot of their social lives and even time with family in order to train. They stay up late working out schedules, going over old routines, or for more practice time. To look at someone who has become an Olympic athlete and say they only won in their sport because they are a person of color is laughable. These men and women worked hard their entire lives to represent their countries; they had a choice and they chose to dedicate their lives to being the very best in the world. How about these haters stop being bitter and start recognizing excellence!
Congratulations to Simone Biles and the rest of Team USA! Don't worry about the hate; I know that I'm beyond proud to have you represent our country!
