Gymnasts Gabrielle Douglas, Kyla Ross and McKayla Maroney make their way to the pitchers mound to throw out a ceremonial first pitch before the game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on September 3, 2012 in Los Angeles
*In the new October issue of Vanity Fair, 16-year-old Olympic gold medalist Gabrielle Douglas again opens up about how she was treated while training at Excalibur Gymnastics in Virginia Beach.
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According to the article, she once left her clothes by her locker, only to return and find someone had taken them. She had no shirt wear to leave the locker room, and “other gymnasts started laughing at her.” There was also the “she’s our slave” comment that Gabby spoke about last month on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.”
But, according to the article’s writer Buzz Bissinger: “Even more painful was an incident several years ago at a party where Gabby says an Excalibur staff member told her she might want to consider reconstructive surgery on her nose because of its flatness. Some other gymnasts had teased Gabby about her appearance, and she found the nose comment ‘very hurtful.’”
Gabby Douglas visits Citi Field on August 23, 2012 in New York City
Excalibur President and CEO Gustavo Moure has denied that anyone in the gym was ever “knowingly involved in any type of bullying or racist treatment.
Dena Walker [the head coach at Excalibur and a financial partner] says that coaches at the gym, which has been home to many African-American athletes, are on the lookout for racial animus and take action should something happen. Walker denies that anyone suggested Gabby get a nose job, calling the allegation “a joke,” and notes that Gabby never reported any of the incidents.
They are going to do what they do to EVRYONE “of color”…”abandon their heritage”! , to “fit in”, b/c YT/America is so fkn INtolerant of…”others”! JLo had to loose all tha azz, MJ “blew up”
When he became…”lighter” etc…. And so “soon” they are fkn with this young lady!!! It would be wonderful fkn thing, if she got an “Afro, kept her “bellpepper” noise and said/asked….”am I “Black enough” for yah!!?? Funny that “others” are never included into the diaspora of the mainstream, until they assimilate”
Cont…….until they “assimilate” the mainstream & therefore leave their culture…….behind. SMH! Leave this young gifted & Black lady alone, to BE…..”Black”!!!
This is getting more ridiculous by the minute. First it was her hair, now it’s her nose? SMH!
These YT (as scary EUR people say) muthafuckas will find anything to help nitpick at. This
girl helped you guys win a gold medal and this is how you treat her? FOR SHAME!
I can understand should this be acting/modeling (surgeries are not uncommon in those fields) but she’s an athlete! She isn’t/shouldn’t be judged on her looks, just her athletic ability.
Don’t give in young lady.
I hate that the media continues to bombard us with these stories and not that I’m doubting it didn’t take place because I believe her 100% but let it go. She won and her talent truly speaks for herself. She earned her way to the top. She wasn’t the first to endure this type of treatment and certainly won’t be the last. I rather celebrate her achievements and keep rooting her on the sidelines to stay at the winning pace. Gabby will have to use these negative incidents as a stepping stone and not become distracted from ignorant people including some of our own folk.
the media is publishing info piece-meal, so as to keep people interested. I Keep telling myself to stop commenting on the little girl but, they are so maddening, stupid and trifling, I can’t help it.
It’s not unusual for Gabby not to report these incidents because she knew how they would be handled…typically.