Team GB star 'under investigation' after appearing to make racist comment

The British Olympic Association has initiated an investigation after being made aware of rugby sevens star Amy Wilson-Hardy appearing to make a racist comment in a WhatsApp message .

A WhatsApp conversation, allegedly involving Wilson-Hardy and an unnamed party, has been shared on social media midway through the 2024 Olympics . It includes a photo which appears to show the rugby player wearing what looks like a dark colored face mask.

"Genuine chocolate face," reads the reply from the unnamed third party. In reply to that comment are the words "Thought I’d have a better chance with the blacks," with the comment allegedly posted by Wilson-Hardy.

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A screengrab of the conversation was posted on Instagram by an anonymous account. "The British Olympic Association has been made aware of an image published on a social media platform and is investigating the matter," a British Olympic Association spokesperson told Mirror Sport.

Wilson-Hardy, 32, is part of Team GB's rugby sevens squad for the Paris Olympic Games. She was also part of the squad for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Team GB qualified for the quarter-finals of the women's tournament in Paris after two wins and one defeat in theri group. They beat Ireland and South Africa, but lost to Australia in between those two fixtures. Wilson-Hardy featured in all three of those encounters. The game against South Africa on Monday brought a 26-17 victory for Team GB to secure second place in its group.

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Team GB took fourth in the women's rugby sevens at the Rio Olympics. It came in fourth again in 2020, when Wilson-Hardy missed out on a place in the squad.

The men's team also finished fourth in Tokyo, having won the silver medal in Rio. There is no British men's team at the 2024 Paris Olympics, following a defeat to South Africa in the final Olympic qualifier in June.

Team GB's women took on Team USA in their quarter-final in Paris on Monday night, with all four quarter-finals taking place on the same night, but fell to a 17-7 defeat against the American side. The semis will follow on Tuesday, followed by the final and the bronze medal match later the same day.