Simone Biles interview on TODAY recounts first racist experience as gymnast

Source: Craig Barritt / Getty

Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast we’ve ever seen. Nobody can f**k with her. That said, no amount of greatness will subdue the racist nature of white people. No amount of medals will make a racist kiss the ring. In fact, Black success often means INCREASED hate because they can’t do what we do.

On the heels of her VOGUE cover, Simone sat down to talk to Hoda Kotb on the TODAY Show to talk about her first brushes with racism as a professional gymnast.

According to Yahoo!, Biles recalled the 2013 World Gymnastics Championship when she was whoopin’ them white girls A$$ES and boy, were they mad about it. That year Simone became the first Black woman to win the all-around title in addition to besting Italian twirler Carlotta Ferlito on the balance beam. Simone scored a gold medal and Ferlito ended with a bronze. At the time, Ferlito told USAToday the following:

“I told [teammate Vanessa Ferrari] that next time we should also paint our skin black so then we can win, too,”

What a hateful little c-word. Ferlito offered the following mealy-mouthed apology on Twitter.

That isn’t nearly enough to properly pay penance. Press play down below and peep Simone’s entire interview.