GLASGOW, Scotland — Alaina Kwan and Kylie Dickson drew a disproportionate amount of attention for gymnasts who won’t make the all-around final at the world championships, let alone win any medals.
They wore the same leotard that club teammate and Fierce Fiver McKayla Maroney wore in the 2012 U.S. championships. Only theirs had the Belarus flag on the shoulder.
While Kwan and Dickson competing for a country they’ve never even visited doesn’t violate International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) rules, it has sparked a debate and drawn criticism on social media and in the gymnastics community.
“I don’t really focus on what flag I’m representing,” said Kwan, 17.