Mistreatment, humiliation and sexual abuse: A report published this week gave devastating testimony to British Gymnastics (BG). In more than 300 pages, lawyer Anne Whyte evaluated the experience reports of about 400 gymnasts, mostly minors. She concluded that there was “systemic” abuse in the sport.
According to the report, many gymnasts were subjected to physical punishment, verbal humiliation or unhealthy practices by their coaches. For example, youths were urged to train despite injuries, were not allowed to go to the bathroom or drink as punishment, or had to stay in awkward positions for long periods of time.
“This is not hard training or light abuse, this is child abuse of athletes at a very young age,” former gymnast Nicole Pavier told the BBC. “It has a huge impact on the rest of our lives, both physically and mentally. This report shows that it’s not just a bunch of bad apples, as we’ve been led to believe. We now know that there is a culture of abuse and that these are children who were abused in clubs and that there were many children”.
Money and success count for more than the athlete’s well-being
Abuse was particularly pronounced in elite sport, the report concluded, which concluded that money and success mattered more than the well-being of athletes. At the same time, precautionary measures were not enough and complaints processes were inefficient, he said.
BG CEO Sarah Powell reacted to the report on Thursday and announced reforms. “British Gymnastics accepts all significant recommendations and findings. We will not hesitate to take the necessary action. I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the gymnasts who suffered because we did not live up to our own standards,” Powell wrote.