Four United States swimmers were barred from the Paralympic closing ceremonies in Paris earlier this month for disparaging comments on social media they made about another competitor.
Jessica Long, Gia Pergolini, Julia Gaffney and Anastasia Pagonis were disciplined after appearing to question the disability of one of their teammates, violating U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee rules, according to the Washington Post.
The penalties could also lead to suspensions and a loss of stipends, per the outlet.
“We can confirm that sanctions have been imposed on several athletes due to unacceptable behavior,” a USOPC spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Washington Post. “It is important to uphold the standards expected of Team USA athletes, and we remain committed to addressing any actions that undermine our values.”
The punishments stem from comments made about U.S. swimmer Christie Raleigh Crossley, who suffers from S9, a neurological disorder.
Long, who has been outspoken about cheating in Paralympic swimming in the past, took aim at her teammates in the comments of an Instagram post celebrating Raleigh Crossley’s world record-setting 50-meter freestyle swim on Aug. 29.
A Spanish swimmer, Sarai Gascon Moreno, commented “S9? It’s a joke?” to which Long replied, “I stand with you.”
Gaffney went after Raleigh Crossley in a separate post, writing “Not a positive impact. Intentional misrepresentation is never cute.”
Pagonis said “this” with a raising hands emoji and Pergolini wrote “well said” with a raising hands emoji on the same post.
Raleigh Crossley addressed the questioning of her disability while in Paris for the games.
“I went from enjoying a world record to being utterly devastated that the entire world seems to think I was a cheater and that I was somehow faking the hole in my brain and the cyst in my spinal cord,” Raleigh Crossley said. “To be told online by all of these bullies that I am not somehow disabled as I appear, just because I can swim faster than them, it’s pretty devastating.”
Long doubled-down on her comments earlier this month, accusing the Paralympic committee of being too lenient with their regulations.
“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?” Long said. “I want to see Paralympics with integrity. I want to see it better.
“And that’s what I will always stand for.”
