Team GB rugby sevens player Amy Wilson-Hardy has been withdrawn from the Olympics “on medical grounds” just a day after the British Olympic Association announced they were probing the 32-year-old for allegedly sending a racist message. Abi Burton, who participated in the Tokyo Games for Team GB, has stepped in for Wilson-Hardy during the minor-placings games on Tuesday.
The announcement came right before Team GB faced a 19-15 defeat against China. They later triumphed over Ireland with a score of 28-12, securing seventh place in the overall rankings.
A representative from the BOA stated: “The British Olympic Association has confirmed that Amy Wilson‑Hardy has been withdrawn on medical grounds from the Paris 2024 rugby sevens placement matches and will be replaced by Tokyo 2020 Olympian Abi Burton. As noted last night, the BOA continues to investigate this issue.”
On Monday, a screenshot of an allegedly racist message attributed to Wilson-Hardy surfaced on social media. At that time, a BOA spokesperson remarked: “The British Olympic Association has been made aware of an image published on a social media platform and is investigating the matter.” The account responsible for posting the image has since been deleted. Wilson-Hardy has not issued any comments regarding her situation up to this point.
Wilson-Hardy, who plays for the Ealing Trailfinders club, was part of Team GB during their 17-7 quarter-final loss to the USA on Monday, which dashed their medal hopes at Paris 2024. She was also a member of the sevens squad that finished fourth in Rio in 2016. Additionally, she holds an engineering degree from Bath University and was chosen for England’s 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup squad.
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New Zealand clinched the gold medal on Tuesday night after defeating Canada 19-12 in the final at the Stade de France. The United States earned bronze with a commendable 14-12 win over Australia in the third-place match.
