Olympic Gold Medalist and Arkansas coach Jordyn Wieber expresses disappointment after major development as she cautions future female gymnasts

Olympic gold medalist and the current coach of Arkansas Razorbacks, Jordyn Wieber, expressed her disappointment at her team's unexpected elimination. The Arkansas Razorbacks were not allowed to take part at the SEC Championships due to the team not meeting the NQS criteria.

In a press statement shared on her Instagram profile, Wieber mentioned that despite the support from the university administration, the Razorbacks couldn't make it. In her words,

"Earlier this week and with the full support of our Director of Athletics, the University of Arkansas submitted a request to the NCAA Gymnastics Committee. Specifically, a request was made to allow our student-athletes to compete at a regular season meet at Oregon State and add to their qualifying score in an equitable fashion. The original request and a subsequent appeal were denied."

Wieber also expressed frustration about the way the Arkansas Razorbacks were denied an opportunity to represent the university at major collegiate tournaments. She added further,

"We have turned our attention toward competing in the NCAA regionals. My hope in bringing this to light is that future female student-athletes and programs are not adversely impacted by this oversight."

Jordyn Wieber was a part of the illustrious US women's gymnastics team for the London Olympics which was nicknamed 'The Fierce Five'. She contributed to the gold medal performance in the women's team all-around event at the quadrennial edition held in London in 2012.

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Jordyn Wieber talks about the role of the Karolyi couple in the Larry Nassar case

Jordyn Wieber talks about the Karolyi couple's involvement in the Larry Nassar case [Image Source : Getty]

The sports fraternity of the USA received a major jolt in 2018 when details about Larry Nassar started coming out in the open. According to several media reports, the former team doctor of the US women's gymnastics team was accused of sexual abuse involving more than 250 gymnasts, including many reputed Olympians like Simone Biles.

Jordyn Wieber claimed in one of her interviews that former team instructor Marta Karolyi and her husband Bela Karolyi knew about this case since Nassar was also associated with some of their training camps. She remarked in an interview with the Daily Mail in 2018,

"Marta was the national team coordinator but the way I saw it, she sort of had control over anything and everything that went on at the ranch. She knew what was going on every second in the gym. She knew how many routines that we did. She knew what we were eating. She knew our treatments. So it was just, when you go there, you know that Martha is watching. Everything you're doing, she's watching."

Jordyn Wieber was not alone, since Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney, and Gabby Douglas, who were a part of 'The Fierce Five', also accused Nassar of unspeakable crimes. Nassar was later convicted on multiple accounts, and sentenced to at least a minimum of 140 years in prison.