Source: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty
Simone Biles rightfully feels like anyone mistaking her for Gabby Douglas is “crazy.”
In a tweet shared April 13, Biles expressed annoyance with people who mixed up the two history-making Black women gymnasts. The soon-to-be-bride tweeted, “Still getting called Gabby Douglas is crazy to me.”
Twitter users followed up with Biles in her post’s replies. Many agreed that the two celebrated gymnasts don’t look anything alike.
Others pointed out that Biles and Douglas being mistaken as the same person is a microaggression or a subtle form of discrimination toward a marginalized group.
The two athletes have tremendously excelled despite gymnastics traditional association with whiteness. One Twitter user described the lack of awareness for the two athletes as different people as “subtle racism.” Other online users described the microaggression as “dehumanizing” and “inconsiderate.”
Biles and Douglas are two Black women who’ve made history with their athleticism in the gymnastics world.
Source: Harry How / Getty
Douglas is a three-time Olympic gold medalist. Thanks to her effort at the 2012 London Olympics, she is the first American gymnast to win the all-around and team titles at the same Olympic Games. The 27-year-old, 5-foot-3 athlete is also the first African-American gymnast to take home the Olympic all-around title. She won an all-around silver medal at the World Championships in 2015. Her books Grace, Gold, and Glory: My Leap of Faith and Raising the Bar came out in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
With her small but mighty 4-foot-8 frame, Biles, 26, is considered the gymnastics GOAT. The athlete is the most decorated U.S. women’s gymnast ever, according to USA Gymnastics. With 32 medals in total, Biles has won seven at the Olympics and 25 at the World Championships throughout her 12-year-long professional career.
At the U.S. Classic in 2021, Biles became the first woman ever that landed the Yurchenko double pike. Later that year, she became the first woman to win her seventh national all-around title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. In July 2022, she became the youngest person ever that received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
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