The mother of women's gymnastics all-around champion Gabrielle Douglas has attacked critics of her daughter's hair.
Natalie Hawkins, the 16-year-old Flying Squirrel's proud mother, asked those who have labelled her hair messy: 'Are you trying to ruin her self confidence?'
She told Fashionista.com: 'How ignorant is it of people to comment on her hair and she still has more competitions to go?'
The teenager said yesterday she was a little confused when she logged onto her computer after winning her second gold medal in three days and discovered people were debating her pulled-back look.
Miss Douglas uses gel, clips and a ponytail holder to keep things in place while she competes, a style she's worn for years.
Her mother, who does not live with her daughter and allegedly filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, said people began offering their opinions on the youngster's hair months ago.
'I started hearing about [her hair] earlier this year actually,' she said. 'What is funny is I had someone come do her hair before the Olympics. We put all this effort into getting her hair done and they still didn't like it.'
She, like many others, are confused over what people don't like about her hair, exactly.
'She didn't have flyaways,' she said. 'When you look at pictures, it's tight back just like everyone else's and all of the girls had the messy ponytails which is just their generation.
'Most of the women who were commenting I think are a little bit older'.
Ms Hawkins filed for a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, according to documents submitted earlier this year in Virginia, reported TMZ.
The documents show that Hawkins, who has previously spoken out about gymnastics being an expensive sport, has debt totalling $79,754.14.
The documents state that Hawkins has assets totalling $163,706.10 and show she owes Capital One, Sprint, and T-Mobile more than $6,000. Her creditors also include an Orthodontist in Iowa, where Gabby trained aged 14, and a student loan of $4,350.23.
Regardless of the financial woes, the mother recalled laughing with the sporting star, who lives with a white host family, when she discovered that people had been discussing her hair.
'She said,"Really? I won two gold medals and made history and my hair is trending?",' the mother told the fashion news site. 'So we laughed about it. We made a huge joke out of it and I was quick to try to diffuse that situation.'
She continued: 'Are you trying to ruin her self confidence? She has to go out there and feel good about herself, and if she feels good about herself on that floor, who are you to criticize her?' What have you done to help contribute to her dream, that you felt it necessary to put it out there so that she could see it.'
The young athlete told the Associated Press that she only discovered the debate after checking online after she had won her second gold medal.
'I don't know where this is coming from. What's wrong with my hair?' said Douglas, the first U.S. gymnast to win gold in team and all-around competition. 'I'm like, "I just made history and people are focused on my hair?" It can be bald or short, it doesn't matter about [my] hair.'
'Nothing is going to change,' she said. 'I'm going to wear my hair like this during beam and bar finals. You might as well just stop talking about it.'
Critics have argued that her dark locks should in fact mimic the tight, ballerina-style bun that gymnasts usually tuck their hair into.
'I don't think people should be worried about that,' she said. 'We're all champions and we're all winners. I just say that it's kind of, a stupid and crazy thought to think about my hair.'
The bubbly teenager was the first African-American gymnast to win her sport's biggest prize.
She had no idea she was lighting up social media until she Googled herself hours after winning her gold medal.
In the Flying Squirrel's defense, her hair had been kept securely in place with ample gel and hair clips as she has leaped and twirled her way to glory.
One user wrote on Twitter: 'Gabby Douglas gotta [sic] do something with this hair! These clips and this brown gel residue aint it!'.
Another posted: 'In Olympic news, why hasn't anyone tried to fix Gabby Douglas' hair?'.
To which a further user replied: 'That's an Olympic sport too!'.
The teenage superstar was also defended on Twitter by her supporters.
One user wrote: 'People busy talking about Gabby Douglas not having her hair done?? She's busy sweating & WINNING GOLD MEDALS... you're on TWITTER. Right'.
Another person wrote: 'If you want to ride Gabby Douglas for her hair, you should be open to her coming over to critique your muscle tone'.
A further user wrote: 'Gaby [sic] Douglas may not have her hair done, but she accomplished something more than half of us didn't. Focus'.
Peculiarly, Miss Douglas' hair is possibly the neatest out of her whole team leading many to wonder what all the fuss is about.
Her teammates, Jordyn Wieber, McKayla Maroney, Alexandra Raisman and Kyla Ross, have each been spotted with unruly strands of hair poking out of their buns and ponytails.
It may be Miss Douglas' incredible talents that have put her into the firing line as she outshines the rest of the competition.
For whatever reason, it is not the first time the styling of black hair has come under debate.
Solange Knowles was forced to defend her natural afro, which she wears proudly, after it was slammed by critics who called it 'unkempt' and 'dry as heck'.
One even compared her natural locks to those of a homeless person.
Miss Douglas finished last week with a score of 62.232, less than three-tenths ahead of Viktoria Komova of Russia, to win claim the all-rounder title.
While her U.S. teammates hopped up and down in the stands, Miss Douglas simply grinned. Up in the stands, her mother hugged her children and Missy Parton, whose family Miss Douglas lives with in West Des Moines, Iowa.
By ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTER and DAILY MAIL REPORTER
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