Four members of the American Paralympics team were barred from attending the closing ceremonies after questioning if a fellow teammate had a legitimate disability.
Julia Ganney, Gia Pergolini, Jessica Long, and Anastasia Pagonis were each penalized by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) for comments they made about another swimmer named Christie Raleigh Crossley.
The woman who is the center of the controversial comments has a disorder called S9, a Paralympics swimming classification that relates to a leg weakness disability and can include those with cerebral palsy, spinal cord problems, or amputees. The comments made by her teammates distinctly violated the USOPC rules.
A spokesperson from the organization said in a statement that “sanctions have been imposed” on the four swimmers because of “unacceptable behavior.” The representative added that the group is “committed” to responding accordingly to any behavior that “undermine[s] our values” and will work to “uphold the standards” in place for members of Team USA.
The four women are not only prevented from attending the closing ceremonies but are also facing lost stipends and suspensions. The controversy began after Crossley set a world record for the 50-meter freestyle in the Paralympics, held in Paris this summer.
But some took a celebratory Instagram post from teammates as an opportunity to post in the comments, wondering if Crossley had a legitimate disability. Sarai Gascon Moreno, a swimmer from Spain asked if S9 was “a joke,” to which American swimmer Long said, “I stand with you.”
Long added that she thought the USOPC was “not using” its “intentional misrepresentation” regulations when they “really should.” She also said that she hopes to see the Paralympics “with integrity” and wants to “see it better.” Gaffney then issued similar sentiments in a different post that said Crossley was “not a positive impact” and said that it is “never cute” to engage in “intentional misrepresentation.”
Pergolini echoed Gaffney’s response with a comment of “well said” and “this,” emphasizing her agreement with an emoji of raised hands. Crossley, for her part, said she had been celebrating her world record one moment and was then “utterly devastated” at being presented as “a cheater” who was “somehow faking the hole in my brain” as well as the “cyst in my spinal cord.”
