Female Twitter user says athlete's comments were harsh

Rosheika Grant, STAR Writer

"I was beyond hurt" is how the female Twitter user says she felt after tweets geared towards her from Olympic bronze medallist, Warren Weir, went viral on Sunday.

The incident began last Friday when the female user posted a tweet which said, "Warren Weir still run track?"

A seemingly offended Weir responded to the tweet on Sunday with his own that stated; "Lol, at you looking like you wasn't my lil doggie who I told to jump and fetch. Don't act new when you a THOT."

Weir then followed with another post, "Tell your fat friend come link me for track shoes and come work out."

The female user, who declined to state the nature of her relationship with Weir, confirmed that she was the "fat friend" Weir referred to in his tweets.

She further said she had asked the question out of innocence, adding, "There was no malicious intent behind it."

Weir faced fire for his tweets from followers who bashed him for not acting like a national representative. Some followers even called him the "third-place runner", questioning his recent achievements in athletics.

The Jamaican athlete who deactivated his Twitter account for several hours later deleted the tweets and posted an apology.

In his apology, Weir said, "My comments were unacceptable, and I make no excuses for my behaviour." The 200m runner added that his focus is on representing his country.

Weir, who placed second in the National Senior Trials last month, will run his first European race for this season in Switzerland today.

Weir came to prominence when he won a bronze medal in the 200m at the 2012 London Olympics, then followed up with a silver medal performance in the 200m at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, Russia.