- Gymnastics coach Noemi Gelle accused of racist hand gesture
- The Hungarian used her right hand to make a gesture that looked very similar to the ‘ok’ emoji
- But this gesture can also be seen as a ‘genuine expression of white superiority’
Hungarian rhythmic gymnastics coach Noemi Gelle was accused on Thursday of making a racist hand gesture during the Olympic Games.
Gelle appeared on screen during the television broadcast of the women’s rhythmic all-around event after the camera switched to gymnast Fanni Pigniczki.
Both responded by waving at the camera, after which Gelle made a gesture with her right hand that resembled the “ok” emoji.
While the symbol is seen by most as simply an “okay” sign, it has also been used in recent years as a “sincere expression of white supremacy,” according to the Anti-Defamation League. However, a 2019 statement from the ADL said that “extra caution should be exercised in not jumping to conclusions about the intent behind someone using the gesture.”
There is no evidence that Gelle made a “white power” sign. It is most likely that she only wanted to express her approval to Pigniczki, who had just finished her dance routine.
Fanni Pigniczki (left) and coach Noemi Gelle (right) pictured at the Olympic Games on Thursday
Hungarian rhythmic gymnastics coach Gelle made a hand gesture as she stood in front of the camera
The hand gesture resembled the “ok” emoji, but many fans believed it was a “white power sign”
Your browser does not support iframes.
Still, Gelle’s hand gesture received a lot of attention online on Thursday and several fans called for her to be blocked.
One response via X (formerly Twitter) read: ‘If this doesn’t lead to a ban…’
Another read: “You can’t ignore it.”
A third fan asked: ‘Does anyone know how I can report this????’
Pigniczki finished twelfth in Thursday’s competition, narrowly missing out on a spot in the ten-person final.
Italy’s Sofia Raffaeli, Germany’s Darja Varfolomeev and Bulgaria’s Boryana Kaleyn were the top three players on Thursday.
Pigniczki pictured in action during Thursday’s match at the Porte de La Chapelle Arena
Pigniczki, 24, pictured in a different outfit, finished 12th in Thursday’s competition of 24 participants
Your browser does not support iframes.
Ukraine’s Taisiia Onofriichuk and Germany’s Margarita Kolosov finished fourth and fifth on Thursday.
Slovenia’s Ekaterina Vedeneeva, Israel’s Daria Atamanov, Brazil’s Barbara Domingos, Italy’s Milena Baldassarri and China’s Wang Zilu also qualified for the final.