I Guess Steve King Would Cede the All-Around Gymnastics Gold to Russia’s Victoria Komova?

Gabby Douglas and her coach, Liang Chow, show the strength of America’s diversity.

At around mid-day, IA Congressman Steve King said the following:

“The argument that diversity is our strength has really never been backed up by logic,” King told The Huffington Post. “It’s unity is where our strength is. Our Founding Fathers understood that. Modern-day multiculturalists are defying that.”

Not long after Steve King made that ridiculous comment, Gabby Douglas–who trained in IA for the last two years–became the first African American woman (in fact, the first non-white; no Chinese women have even won this) to win the gymnastics all-around gold.

The best gymnast in the world.

This evening, Chuck Grassley did what every other member of Congress has been doing during the Olympics: bragging about athletes to whom they can claim any ties. (All Chuckisms original)

Congrats to GabbyDouglas for GOLD in g ymnastics. She a Virginian But she came to Iowa to live to train. I bleve like Shawn johnson

Gabby moved to IA, of course, so she could train with Chinese immigrant Liang Chow, who first moved to IA to coach University of IA’s gymnasts in 1991 and became a citizen in 2002. Gabby is the second young woman Chow has trained to Gold in Grassley and King’s state (he coached Shawn Johnsen as well).

Today, the US is the best in the world, at least for one glorious Olympic event. And we owe that strength precisely to our diversity.

I suppose Steve King wants to give that medal back?

Update: See also this great post oln how hard Gabby’s mom worked to make this possible for her. It really conveys how inaccessible these expensive sports can be to potentially elite athletes because of economics.

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11 replies
  1. MadDog says:

    Steve King is a fool of the first order. When the creator was passing out brains, King thought he said trains, and said – No thanks! I think I’ll walk.

  2. jerryy says:

    He (King) probably will not be too happy to learn that the bronze medal winner in men’s all-around gymnastics is Danell Leyva — born in Cuba, his mother came here with him from South America.

  3. Petrocelli says:

    @emptywheel: There are some great stories, and the athletes all mingle, sharing their own stories and forming new friendships.

    When you get past the commercialization of the Olympics, it really does inspire and build bridges of peace …

  4. Bill Michtom says:

    With the help of this post, I told King what a fool he is. Thanks.

    “The argument that diversity is our strength has really never been backed up by logic,” King told The Huffington Post. “It’s unity is where our strength is. Our Founding Fathers understood that. Modern-day multiculturalists are defying that.”

    Below is an example of the power of multiculturalism in your own state.

    Gabby Douglas became the first African American woman to win the gymnastics all-around gold.

    The best gymnast in the world.

    She came to Iowa to train with Chinese immigrant Liang Chow.

    Mr. King, you are not only a bigot, you are an ignorant bigot.

  5. Bob Schacht says:

    Ripples on the surface…
    Remember the initial trial heats to choose the two best representatives from each country, rather than the best overall? IIRC, the two best rule was implemented years ago to prevent CHINA from monopolizing the awards. By limiting each country to their best two, it keeps China from sweeping all medals– which was happening at least a decade ago. The rule makes sure that no country will win more than two of the three medals in each event.

    Minor note: American Aly Raismith, who beat out Jordyn Wieber for the second American in the final individual event, placed out of the running to the two Russians that Jordyn had already competed successfully against. Would Wieber have done better? That will be fodder for mixed feelings among Aly and Jordyn, and Monday morning quarterbacks.

    Bob in AZ

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