in a (n open letter Addressed to Sport Canada, the athletes have called on the governing body to conduct an “independent third-party investigation.”
This comes after they claimed Gymnastics Canada (GymCan) failed to address these issues and failed to gain athletes’ trust.
“Her [GymCan’s] Inability to adequately respond to ongoing systemic abuse, abuse and discrimination is worrying,” read the letter, shared by start-up group Global Athlete.
It added: “For nearly a decade, fear of retribution has prevented us and numerous other athletes from speaking out.
“However, we can no longer remain silent. We come forward with our experiences of abuse, neglect and discrimination in hopes of enforcing change.
“We ask Sport Canada to take action to ensure the next generation of Canadian gymnasts are not subjected to the physical and psychological trauma that we have endured.”
Sport Canada did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement on its website on Tuesday, GymCan said it was aware of the letter’s dissemination and agreed that an external and independent organization needed to be put in place to monitor complaints.
“While we are saddened to learn that dozens of athletes feel we have not addressed these issues, we are committed to continuing to educate and advocate for system-wide reforms that will help ensure that all participants train and compete at ease respected, included and safe in the sport,” the statement said.
“We agree that there needs to be much more support to address unsafe practices in sport […] We also agree that more work is needed to create more humanistic approaches in which participants can thrive.”
It added: “Gymnastics Canada, as the governing body of the sport in Canada, has addressed any complaints or concerns that have been raised with the national body.”
According to the letter, complaints have been made about Canadian coaches over the past five years, many of whom have been teaching underage people at training camps, competitions and national team assignments.
But athletes claim that GymCan has only paid “lip service” to the issues raised. The athletes say they “got nowhere” with requests for an internal investigation within the organization.
The signers – who are not named and say they include Olympians and national team members – have called for an independent third-party investigation by Sport Canada to “ensure the safety of athletes going forward”.
“Many athletes who have experienced abuse suffer from significant ongoing psychological and physical consequences, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders and chronic pain,” the letter reads.
“We continue to suffer harm when we participate in programs run by GymCan, the organization charged with developing and protecting us.”
The letter comes four years after disgraced former US gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in Michigan State Penitentiary after pleading guilty to seven counts of criminal sexual conduct.
At sentencing, 156 victims, including Olympic gold medalists Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, told stories of going to Nassar for treatment for sports injuries, only to be sexually assaulted, saying it was a form of treatment .
Two months earlier, Nasser had been sentenced to 60 years in prison for child pornography.
Canadian gymnasts aren’t the only athletes in the country making allegations of abuse, either. Three years ago, bobsledder Kallie Humphries joined the United States and said she was “assaulted, harassed and bullied” by trainer Todd Hays – allegations Hays denies.
More than 60 other bobsleigh and skeleton athletes signed an open letter on March 7 calling for the resignation of senior figures in Canada’s bobsleigh and skeleton governing body (BCS) to step down, citing a “toxic” environment .
In response to the open letter, BCS issued a statement saying it would address any issues.
“We take the concerns of our athletes seriously,” the statement said.
“As we do after the conclusion of each Olympic quarter, we plan to meet directly with our athlete community as soon as possible to review and address their concerns.”