'Maybe next time we'll paint our skin black so we can win': Italian gymnast sparks fury with racist jibe at 16-year-old new world champion



US gymnast Simone Biles, 16, became sport's first black world champion

Carlotta Ferlito joked with teammate about painting their skin black to win

18-year-old later apologised on twitter and denied being a racist



Italian official stokes row with comment about black competitors' physique



An Italian gymnast has provoked outrage after claiming the sport's first black world champion only won because of her skin colour.

American Simone Biles, 16, made gymnastic history when she became the new all-round world champion on Friday.

But moments after Carlotta Ferlito finished fifth, she told a journalist that she had joked with teammate Vanessa Ferrari, who come fourth, that they should paint themselves black next time to stand a chance of winning.



The 18-year-old told the interviewer: 'I told Vanny (Ferrari) that next time we should also paint our skin black, so then we could win too.'

On her way to glory: Simone Biles, centre, picks up gold in the floor exercise competition on her way to becoming the first black world champion

TRANSLATED: THE RACIST REMARK WHICH SPARK OUTRAGE

Q. Well ready, set. Still a low score for your beam. How come?

A. Now I will go ask Donatella.

Q. Donatella Sacchi (judge and former Italian women's team technical director)?

A. (Nodding) What they deducted because I really ... This time they were better in the execution because I started with two-tenths of a point lower in respect to the score. But, really the starting score, I understand since I didn't connect, but the execution, I don't know, I will ask, we'll see.

Q. What about the success of (Simone) Biles, was it all planned?

A. I told Vanny (Ferrari) that next time we should also paint our skin black, so then we could win too. (laughing) Source: Chicago Tribune



Outrage: Italian gymnast Carlotta Ferlito took to twitter to apologise for her comments can deny she was racist

But the row has now escalated after an official in the Italian team tried to justify the comments in a posting on Facebook, according to the Chicago Tribune .

USA Gymnastics has demanded an explanation of subsequent comments made by an Italian Gymnastics Federation official David Ciaralli .



According to the Chicago Tribune , he said: 'Carlotta was referring to a trend in gymnastics at this moment, which is going towards a technique that opens up new chances to athletes of colour (well-known for power) while penalising the more artistic Eastern European style that allowed Russians and Romanians to dominate the sport for years.'

Bitter: Italian Carlotta Ferlito, left, made her gibe after finishing in fifth place behind American Simone Biles, right, who became the sport's first black world champion with victory in the all-round competition



He apparently added: 'Why are there no black swimmers? Because their physical features don’t suit the sport.' Ciaralli also said that black people 'may not have some of the necessities to be, let’s say, a field manager or a general manager' and that they aren’t good swimmers because they 'don’t have the buoyancy'.

Mr Ciaralli has also apologised for his remarks, adding that they were not intended to reflect the officical view of the Italian Gymnastics Federation.



But USA Gymnastics president Steve Penny said he was deeply disappointed by the comments, adding that racism should be stamped out of gymnastics.

The row has not taken the shine off the stunning victory by Simone Biles.

Speaking after winning the all-round competition got the best gymnast across a series of disciplines - including the floor, uneven bars - she said: 'It hasn't sunken in yet [that I am the world champion].