OlympicTalk · Nov 1, 2016
Gymnast Louis Smith suspended after Islam video
LONDON (AP) — Two-time Olympic silver medalist Louis Smith was suspended for two months by the British gymnastics federation on Tuesday after appearing to mock Islam in a video.
An independent panel found that Smith’s behavior was “a breach of the standards of conduct.”
Smith and former British teammate Luke Carson appeared in a leaked video laughing and pretending to pray while shouting “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “God is greatest.”
Smith apologized for the incident.
Smith had been warned in June after a previous, unrelated case of misconduct. Following the latest breach, the disciplinary panel “determined a cumulative penalty was appropriate and ordered a two-month period of suspension.”