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British gymnastics apologizes for physical and psychological abuse

Gymnast Lisa Mason, one of the complainants. / the mail

Up to 37 former athletes have denounced systematic physical abuse and the highest body recognizes that “it has failed” by not understanding their situation

The president of the British Gymnastics Federation, Mike Darcey, has apologized and acknowledged that the body had “defrauded” its members, after 37 former gymnasts reported harassment and mistreatment.

“As we reflect on some great moments from the Tokyo Olympics, we also have to acknowledge that, coupled with the rapid growth of gymnastics over the past decade, our organization, on several fronts, has failed to sustain that growth,” said Darcey. in a statement released Tuesday night.

«The board of directors has taken stock in recent months. It is clear that the board and the board of directors have failed to be close enough to the gymnasts to understand their concerns, and our engagement with those who raise concerns has not been good enough, ”the text continues. “We have let you down and are deeply sorry,” added the Chairman of British Gymnastics.

The British Federation has been sued by 37 former gymnasts, including three Olympic medalists, who say they have been victims of physical and psychological abuse, which they describe as systematic.

Darcey also recognized that the training culture around gymnastics needs to change to ensure a less toxic environment for athletes. “While we recognize that there are many good practices within UK sport, we must make it clear to all members that abusive practices, including injury training, abuse, yelling and weight shaming, are not acceptable,” He said.

“We have to do better to ensure that there is no room for abuse in our sport. We are determined and committed to change at the British Gymnastics Federation and you don’t have to wait ”for the results of internal research to do so, says Darcey.

For several months now, retired and active gymnasts have been denouncing their training conditions all over the world. In the United States, the Nassar case, after the last name of the former women’s team doctor sentenced to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting more than 250 gymnasts, including superstar Simone Biles, revealed since 2018 the hidden face of the discipline. In Greece, former gymnasts denounced decades of “torture-like” mistreatment by their coaches.

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