African-American gymnast Gabby Douglas, who won a gold medal each in London Olympic individual and team gymnastic matches for the United States, has spoken about how she was racially abused by fellow gymnasts during early training sessions in Virginia.
In an interview with Oprah Winfrey, Douglas said that things went so wrong with her that she even thought about quiting the competition.
'I was just, you know, kind of getting racist jokes, kind of being isolated from the group. So, it was definitely hard. I would come home at night and just cry my eyes out,' she told Oprah Winfrey.
'One of my teammates was like, 'Could you scrape the bar?'' the New York Daily News quoted Douglas recalling, adding: 'And they were like, 'Why doesn't Gabby do it, she's our slave?''
'I was the only African-American at that gym,' Gabby went on, adding: 'I definitely felt isolated.
Why am I deserving this? Is it because I'm black? - those thoughts were going through my mind.'
According to the report, Douglas appeared on Oprah's show on Sunday with her mother, Natalie Hawkins, who recalled how her daughter told her about the cruel treatment meted out to her on several occasions.
'I'd rather quit - if I can't move and train and get another coach, I'd rather quit the sport,'' Hawkins recalled what her Gabby told to her.
Gabby.