Three Brazilian gymnasts suspended for racist comments about teammate
Three Brazilian gymnasts were suspended by the country's gymnastics confederation after they were caught on video making racist comments about a black teammate, according to the Associated Press.
Arthur Nory Mariano, Fellipe Arakawa and Henrique Flores were suspended for 30 days. They may not enter competitions or receive any financial incentives during the suspension.
The confederation had announced last week that it was investigating the video, which had originated on Mariano's Snapchat account and was obtained by Brazilian newspaper O Globo.
In the video, the three suspended gymnasts tell teammate Angelo Assumpcao "that a smartphone's screen is white when it works and black when it doesn't, and that supermarket bags are white and trash bags are black," according to the AP.
"There are no hard feelings. We are friends," Assumpcao said in an apology video posted by his teammates.
Brazil's racial equality minister, Giovanny Harvey, said he will investigate whether the video violates anti-discrimination laws that could warrant criminal charges.
- Dan Gartland
