Olympian Gabby Douglas ignited a bit of a firestorm after the Team USA gymnastics squad won the gold medal on Tuesday in Rio.
During the medal ceremony, Douglas and the “Final Five” stood atop the podium as the "Star Spangled Banner" played and many noticed that Douglas did not place her hand over her heart like the rest of her teammates. Some viewed her stance as disrespectful to the country and Douglas took to social media to respond to her critics about the controversy.
“First I want to say thank you everyone for all your support!! It’s a huge honor for me to be able to represent #TeamUSA,” the three-time gold medalist tweeted. “In response to a few tweets I saw tonight, I always try to stand at attention out of respect for our country whenever the national anthem is played. I never meant any disrespect and apologize if I offended anyone.”
Douglas was not the only Olympian whose behavior during the medal ceremony was noticed Tuesday. Many also wanted to know why swimmer Michael Phelps began cracking up during the anthem. He attributed his giggles to: "My boys from Baltimore were down at the other end and back in Maryland we all say 'oh!" He is referring to how at Baltimore Orioles games, fans yell out "O!" when the song gets to the "oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave" line.
Although there is no official rule ordered by the Olympic committee that requires athletes to place their hand over their heart during the anthem, page 28 of the Patriotic and National Observances Ceremonies and Organizations states that all persons “should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart.”
It should be noted that during the ceremony four years ago in London, Douglas did place her hand over her heart during the national anthem. The 20-year-old is scheduled to compete next in the individual uneven bars.