30-time Paralympic medalist Jessica Long has issued a statement after being 1 of the 4 US athletes barred from attending the Paralympic Closing Ceremonies in Paris last month following alligations of bullying one of her teammates.
In a new Instagram post, Long responded to the bullying allegations:
“Dear Friends, For twenty years, I’ve devoted myself to the sport of swimming and the Paralympic Movement. It’s been my mission to uphold athletes’ integrity and promote positive growth in competition and the perception of disabled athletes worldwide. I’m dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals to excel in their sport and advocating for the Paralympics. Representing Team USA at home and abroad has been a true honor. I take such joy and pride in sharing my story and that of my teammates and competitors as we work determinedly to show the world who we are.”
“Recently, my name has been associated with bullying, which is not representative of who I am. I strongly oppose bullying and do not believe there is a place for it in this world. My goal is always to support, encourage, and educate all people and athletes—disabled and able-bodied alike. We must unite with one another in love and compassion for our struggles and strengths, as it will only bolster a better world inside and outside of sport. I sincerely hope recent stories won’t overshadow my true character and dedication to para sports. I remain devoted to upholding the integrity of the Paralympics, advocating for positive changes for the next generation, and seeking modifications that will only be positive and for the betterment of us all.”
“The Paris Paralympic Games were amazing and historic, and now is our time to come together and show how amazing we are. Being able to swim and compete against the world’s best has always been a great privilege. I advocate with my teammates, competitors, country, and the world for the promotion of para sport. And I am more committed than ever to ensuring that my dedication and reputation for fairness are clear and rooted in integrity and support for my fellow Paralympians. There’s still a lot of work to be done, and I hope you will join me in bringing light to the Paralympics…Love, Jessica Long“
Long was barred from attending the ceremonies by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee alongside fellow swimmers Anastasia Pagonis, Gia Pergolini, and Julia Gaffney after posting comments on social media about teammate Christie Raleigh-Crossley. According to the USOPC, Long participated in bullying Crossley on social media by questioning her disability classification. Crossley, who has a neurological condition, was classified into and competed in the S9 class in Paris, winning 5 medals and breaking the World Record in the S9 50m freestyle.
On a social media post by World Para Swimming celebrating Crossley’s World Record swim, Spanish S9 swimmer Sarai Gascon Moreno commented “S9? It’s a joke?”
Long responded to the comment, writing “I stand with you!”
When questioned about her comment in an interview at the Games, Long reaffirmed her stance on the situation, “For me, I’ve seen the Paralympic movement for so long, I think we have intentional misrepresentation [rules] for a reason. And I think we are not using it. I think we really should, right?” She continued, “I want to see Paralympics with integrity. I want to see it better. And that’s what I will always stand for.”
According to the Washington Post, the swimmers involved in the situation might face additional consequences, including suspensions, once the situation has been investigated.
“Strongly oppose bullying”…….didnt stop you 9 years ago when you employed the likes of your family, coach and overseas “friend” to bully and attack a minor on social media. I don’t care what Jessica has achieved in Para Swimming she is a disgrace and horrible human.
The swimming community is small and everyone seems to know everyone. Having never been a teammate of Jessica Long’s or Christie Raliegh Crossley’s, I really have know way to judge either of them on their character However, this story has really peaked my interest. All of the “click bait” articles that came out during the Paralympics were interesting. If you can be accused of bullying for saying, “I stand with you.” Then I guess no one is safe from being accused of bullying. For whatever reason I have spent way too much time looking into all of this. Below are the reasons I would question anything that Christie says.
- One year at FSU.
- One yearish at Rowan
… Read more »I don’t understand why Jessica Long in her lovely statement to just admit that she made a mistake to join a non American competitor who was beaten by an American like herself…
The sad thing is that the Spanish swimmer is also a S-9 so is she implying that she is a joke?!!
Those American swimmers know the rules and how to conduct themselves as representatives of the United States of America at the Paralympics, especially Jessica Long!!!!
The evidence is overwhelming to imply that it was FOUL PLAY against fellow American when she knew that everyone at the Paralympics are disabled..
So therefore that is bullying on her part, and she knows it too!!!
… Read more »
The athlete isn’t the one pushing the classification. It’s the IPC (who incidentally, does not typically EVER favor USA athletes, with lower classifications). I’m sure if J Long would have received an S4 Classification, she would have shrugged her shoulders and would be weighed down with a truck load of Paris hardware. I’m sure the CRC situation was similar. She’s not in charge of classification.
Likewise, when you read into the J Long comment (and the Moreno comment for that matter), you could read into it that the criticism isn’t against CRC, it’s against the IPC for creating this perceived inequity.
Should J Long said something, like this? Not without an explanation that it’s the IPC that should… Read more »
Jessica Long and the other four athletes are being bullied by CRC. CRC’s times are inconsistent, her medical device needs are way over the top for her “neurological condition” and it’s amazing how all four limbs move symmetrically without issue when she swims in competitive competitions, whereas her classification times are slow. It’s not right for the other athletes who work hard to lose to someone who shouldn’t be on the team. I hope one day there will be an appropriate investigation into the issue.
Deja vu a certain Australian now S9 swimmer with a clenched fist and medically inexplicable limp who copped a lot of flack in 2016. She cried “cyber bullying” and is unbelievably still swimming and collecting medals. The general public just love the warm and fuzzy stuff associated with paralympic sport and remain blissfully ignorant of the realities of the very flawed classification system despite some mainstream media attempts to expose it. Until classification is taken out of the hands of the IPC this abhorrent situation will continue as is. Swimming organisations in the various countries will continue to punish athletes who speak out, or even if their families speak out. Paralympic swimming has lost, and will continue to lose, talented… Read more »
Jessica Long and the other 3 athletes in the situation are really being bullied by CRC. Until you see the complete picture of this situation, until you see CRC swim and watch her movements both in the water and out of the water and compare that to even a year ago, most anyone would be able to see the discrepancies of CRC’s times. Her medical equipment needs do not make sense to anyone with a medical background who hears her speak about her “neurological condition”Her inconsistent times continue with an 30 second or more difference in her swims between classification and competition and she completely verbally destroys anyone who begins to question her. And she is even inconsistent with weakness… Read more »
Jessica stands for fair competition and did nothing for which she needs to apologize. Questioning an infraction of the rules is not bullying.
Steve: I commend you standing up for Jessica. I’m sure I would want to do the same in similar circumstances. However, this statement begs some questions.
1) She did not address the event in question. Her decision to avoid any details is telling.
2) I don’t really think the statement denies wrongdoing. It seems to focus on the past and future, but not the incident. You did, she did not.
3) Lastly, calling the games “awesome” is painfully tone deaf. The reality is that her actions towards a TEAMMATE were considered so abhorrent she wasn’t even allowed to be with the team at Closing Ceremonies. There’s nothing “awesome” about that and it’s insulting to Christie, who was forced… Read more »