Review into British gymnastics finds physical and emotional abuse was 'systemic'
Warning: This article contains some description of graphic injuries and abuse.
The review said the difficulties now facing British Gymnastics, the sport's national governing body, are "borne of inadequate practice and procedure", and reflect a culture which was the product of "the way in which people behaved and were allowed to behave". UK Sport and Sport England said they "welcomed" the report and "accepted and endorsed" its recommendations - adding gymnastics' continued funding will "depend on its new leadership teams making significant changes to the sport" in the timeline set out in the Whyte Review.
In the report, Whyte said: "I hope that the findings in this report will allow the gymnast community to feel that the failures of the past have been publicly recognised and enable the sport to move forward and make positive changes."Welsh Gymnastics appoints safeguarding adviserThe review, which focused on the period from August 2008 to August 2020, received more than 400 submissions, including 133 from current and former gymnasts, and conducted 190 interviews.
The review also pointed to the recruitment of coaches from, or from countries influenced by, the former Soviet Union, whose "technical skill and experience was sometimes accompanied by an attitude to the gymnast which was autocratic and dismissive and left athletes feeling like commodities".One former elite gymnast described being made to stand on the beam for two hours because she was frightened to attempt a skill.
Some coaches went to damaging length to control what gymnasts ate and weighed. Gymnasts had their weights publicly announced, were told to send photographs to prove they had lost weight, and had their lunch packs and bags searched for food. Gymnasts would hide food, including in ceiling tiles, and were told "not to eat grapes" because "they are the highest-fat fruit".
The organisation should appoint a director of education and increase its direct contact with registered clubs.What have the governing bodies said? "At this time, our intention is to continue to fund British Gymnastics, as we believe that withdrawing funding would not only prevent them from implementing the vital changes outlined in the report but also negatively impact on the support to and wellbeing of gymnasts now.
"I want to wholeheartedly apologise to the gymnasts who have suffered as a result of us not working to the standards we set ourselves. We are sorry."
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