Alys Raisman: Olympic gold medal-winning gymnast calls out airport worker over body shaming

Athlete recounts 'rude and uncomfortable' encounter with male official regarding her biceps

Aly Raisman (right) pictured with fellow Team USA gymnast Simone Biles at the Rio Olympics (Mike Blake/Reuters)

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman is calling out an airport security worker who she says questioned whether she had enough muscles to be a gymnast.

Raisman posted on Twitter on Wednesday that after a female Transportation Security Administration (TSA) worker said she recognised Raisman by her biceps, a male employee said, “I don't see any muscles.” Raisman called the encounter “rude & uncomfortable.”

Raisman, who turned 23 on Thursday, says she works “very hard to be healthy & fit.” She says that if a man can't compliment a girl's muscles, he's sexist.

Raisman didn't say where or when the airport exchange took place.

The TSA issued a statement Thursday saying that it conducts screenings at security checkpoints for travellers departing from US or US territory airports, and that it appears Raisman was travelling from a foreign airport.

It says it has reached out to her via Twitter for more details and that if the situation took place at one of its checkpoints it will “look into this further.”

Copyright Associated Press