The Whyte review covered a 12-year period through August 2020
Warning: This article contains a description of injuries and graphic abuse.
An independent investigation has found that the problems of physical and emotional abuse within British gymnastics were “systemic”.
The Whyte Review, co-commissioned by UK Sport and Sport England, was published on Thursday and found that the well-being and well-being of gymnasts “have not been at the heart of British gymnastics culture”.
He said the difficulties facing British gymnastics now “are due to improper practice and procedure” and reflect a culture that was the product of “the way people behaved and were allowed to behave”. -se “.
There was a feeling, he added, that British gymnastics “had not only failed to prevent or limit these behaviors, but had forgiven some in the pursuit of national and international competitive success”.
The Whyte Review was commissioned in 2020 following allegations of abuse and mistreatment of gymnastics in Britain.
UK Sport and Sport England said it “welcomed” the report and “accepted and endorsed” its recommendations: adding continued funding for gymnastics “will depend on its new leadership teams making significant changes to the sport “in the timetable set out in the Whyte review. .
British Gymnastics said it wanted to “apologize wholeheartedly” to the gymnasts who had suffered and that “it would not shy away from doing what is necessary”.
In addition to her 17 recommendations, Anne Whyte QC said a sports village advocate would be “an obvious step in the right direction.”
It also stipulated that the British Gymnastics Board publish the details of its progress in meeting its recommendations at six, 12 and 24 month intervals, with the expectation that “most, if not all”, be implemented in a term of two years.
In the report, Whyte said, “I hope the findings of this report allow the gymnastics community to feel that the failures of the past have been publicly acknowledged and allow the sport to move forward and make positive changes.”
He added: “I’m sure the sport of gymnastics is already undergoing a change for the better.”
What did the review find?
The review, which focused on the period from August 2008 to August 2020, received more than 400 communications, including 133 from current and previous gymnasts, and conducted 190 interviews.
Of these more than 400 submissions:
- More than 40% described coaches ’abusive physical behaviors toward gymnasts, including physical punishment, inadequate injury training, excessive stretching to the point of distress, and withholding food, water, and access to the toilet.
- More than 50% reported an element of emotional abuse by coaches, such as insults, insults, use of derogatory language, and gas lighting.
- Some 30 submissions included allegations of sexual abuse.
- More than 25% included reference to overweight management.
The review states that the “vast majority” of reports report physically and emotionally abusive behaviors related to female gymnasts, and this behavior was more common at the elite end of the sport.
On weight management, he said that “the tyranny of the scales was directed by the coach and was quite unnecessary.”
There are no individual coaches in the report, in which Whyte said the scale of emotional abuse was “much larger than British gymnastics had appreciated”.
During the 12-year period covered by the review, during which British gymnastics received more than £ 38 million in UK Sport funding, the governing body received approximately 3,800 complaints.
The review also aimed to hire coaches from the former Soviet Union or countries influenced by the former Soviet Union, “whose technical skill and experience were sometimes accompanied by an attitude toward the gymnast who it was autocratic and contemptuous and left athletes feeling like commodities. “
What were some of the examples of abuse given?
Presentation anecdotes include:
- A former elite gymnast described that she had been made to stand on the beam for two hours because she was afraid to try a skill. Some gymnasts were tied to the bars for long periods of time, while others were forced to climb the rope because they needed the toilet or exceeded the rest time.
- One gymnast was deliberately dropped from her equipment and dragged across the gym floor by her arms, while others were pressured to train with injuries, including broken bones.
- A gymnast recalls at the age of seven that a coach had seated her, while a father reported that two coaches were simultaneously pushing their son’s legs down in a fracture. An international competitor recalled his coach sitting on the back of a gymnast, forcing his hips to the floor and then lifting his knee.
- Verbal comments made to the gymnasts included that they were “a waste of space”, “a joke” and “pathetic”, while in relation to the control of excessive weight, the comments included “it looks like a whale”, “it looks like you have a beer belly, “and” your thighs are disgusting. “
- Some coaches came to control what the gymnasts ate and weighed. The gymnasts were publicly announced their weights, told to send photos to show they had lost weight, and searched for lunch packs and bags to find food. The gymnasts hid food, even on the roof tiles, and were told not to “eat grapes” because “they are the fattest fruit.”
- As a result, a “significant” number of gymnasts developed dysfunctional relationships with food, weight, and body image, and reports of purge were not uncommon in presentations.
Whyte said the “unacceptable culture” described in the report “will not be completely eradicated until the national and international leadership of the sport publicly acknowledges its existence.”
What are the recommendations?
Recommendations on British gymnastics focus on four key areas: safeguarding and well-being, complaint handling, standards and education, and governance and supervision.
Recommendations include:
- All club owners and managers should have mandatory safeguards training, and high-performing gymnasts should have access to an independent outreach service and a dedicated wellness officer outside of their club.
- British Gymnastics must have an appropriate case management system in place to cover the number and nature of complaints, and must ensure that all wellness-related complaints about employee coaches are investigated independently. .
- The organization should appoint a director of education and increase their direct contact with registered clubs.
- British Gymnastics must appoint independent board members with relevant experience.
What have the governing bodies said?
A joint statement from UK Sport and Sport England said: “The experiences of the gymnasts shared in this review are appalling and distressing to read. No one in sport should be subjected to this type of abuse.
“We want to publicly acknowledge and thank all those who were brave enough to introduce themselves. Your voices are heard. You have played a key role in shaping the future of gymnastics in Britain, to help make it safe and secure. inclusive for future generations.
“The duty of care with athletes and participants is the responsibility of the national governing bodies. British gymnastics clearly did not achieve this.
“At this time, our intention is to continue funding British gymnastics, as we believe that withdrawing funding would not only prevent them from implementing the vital changes described in the report, but would also negatively affect the support and well-being of gymnasts now. .
“However, we are clear that the continued funding of British Gymnastics will depend on its new leadership team making significant changes to the sport, within the deadlines set out in the report’s recommendations.”
British Gymnastics executive director Sarah Powell, who has been in office since October, said the gymnasts’ experiences as detailed in the review were “unacceptable” and found the report “exciting”.
He said it was a “turning point” not only for gymnastics, but also to safeguard all sports.
“Gymnastics will be different because of the courage of the gymnasts who stood up,” he said.
He said in a statement: “British gymnastics accepts all the recommendations and key findings. We will not shy away from doing what is necessary.
“I want to apologize wholeheartedly to the gymnasts who have suffered as a result of not working according to the standards we set ourselves. Sorry.”
He added: “Let me be clear; there is no room for abuse of any kind in our sport and the training standards of the past will not be the standards of the future.
“We will build a new culture and make sure the gymnast’s voice is at the center of everything we do. We will change gymnastics for the better.”
Why was the review commissioned?
UK Sport and Sport England commissioned the independent review, led by Anne Whyte QC, in July 2020 following allegations of gym abuse. The review formally began the following month.
The review assessed whether:
- The well-being and well-being of gymnasts is (and has been) at the heart of British gymnastics culture, its registered clubs and member coaches, and if not, why not.
- Safeguards concerns and complaints have been properly addressed in the sport of gymnastics and, if not, why not.
- Gymnasts, or their parents, caregivers or guardians, have felt unable to lodge complaints with the appropriate authorities and, if so, why.
The review also investigated the “nature and volume of complaints received by British Gymnastics”, the governing body’s approach to resolving complaints, and its culture and practices.
How did we get here?
The Whyte Review report did not mention individual coaches or athletes.
- July 2020: Nicole Pavier is among a number of gymnasts who made the first allegations of a “culture of fear” within the “abusive mental and emotional” sport of gymnastics.
- Olympians Becky and Ellie Downie say the abusive behavior in gymnastics training was “rooted” and “completely normalized”, while then-British Gymnastics Executive Director Jane Allen says she is ” dismayed and embarrassed “by the accusations.
- Olympic bronze medalist Amy Tinkler criticizes the British …