[VIDEO] Netflix documentary Athlete A asks, ‘What is the cost of winning?’

[MenInG]

[utube]JzeP0DKSqdQ[/utube]

There’s a scene in Netflix’s Athlete A that I had watched years before. At the 1996 Olympics, USA gymnastic team member Kerri Strug falls from a vault, tearing two ligaments in her ankle. In order for the US to win gold, she has to go back around and execute the vault again, this time perfectly. So she crawls off the mat, watery-eyed and limping, and goes to the starting marker again. “You can do it!” shouts her coach Béla Károlyy. Miraculously, Strug does, her tiny body spinning and snapping through the air, all straight lines and sharp angles.

Watching the vault again, in the context of Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s brilliant yet devastating expose of abuse at top-level gymnastics Athlete A, I witnessed something very different than I did the first time. No longer was it grit and determination that I saw, but fear. The way Strug collapses on the floor after the movement, her face distorted in pain; how she’s carried away in a cast. “All I could think was: Why are we celebrating this?” says Jennifer Sey, author of Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics, as she narrates the sequence. “Don’t pretend she had a choice. She was not going to do anything but do that vault. This is a competitive country. We consider ourselves the best in the world at everything, right? But this notion that we would sacrifice our young to win. I think that disgusts us a little. We would never discuss that.”

Sacrificing young people in order to win is the uncomfortable yet necessary subject matter that Athlete A seeks to interrogate. At the surface, the film looks at how over two decades Dr Larry Nassar sexually assaulted around 500 women in his care under the guise of medical procedure. But it also digs deeper into the ways those high up at USA Gymnastics, such as its president Steve Penny, turned a blind eye to abuse in order to protect the organisation’s brand. To men like Penny, girls were machines geared to win medals and sell cereal sponsorship deals. They were disposable, but medals and money were not.

With a fierce, unrelenting eye, Athlete A shows how the training techniques that produced champion gymnasts also made the girls vulnerable to abuse. As they defected from the Eastern Bloc to become the US Team coaches, Bela and Marta Karolyi brought with them a merciless system of discipline and punishment perfected under the oppressive Ceaușescu regime. In 1976, their training methods had produced Romania’s premier cultural export, the 14-year-old Olympic gold medal winner Nadia Comăneci, and now they were applying the same techniques in the “land of the free”. Gymnasts were moved to an isolated training camp in Texas away from their families, slapped if they fell short of perfection, called “pigs” if they gained weight. Under these brutal coaching methods, the line between training and child abuse became so blurred, many gymnasts were unable to recognise what was inappropriate and what was a necessary part of becoming an Olympian.

Strug and girls like her were not a priority for Penny. Getting those same girls on T-shirts, low-fat crisp packets, and fruit juice ads was. Kids across America were desperate to copy those swishy ponytailed, smiling girls with pointed toes who were so often drenched in gold. With USA Gymnastics burning through 12 million dollars in revenue by 1991, the sport was a cash cow and one that Penny wanted to keep milking. So when his athletes, the one’s whose job it was to protect, told him about the sexual abuse, what followed were non-disclosure agreements, cover-ups and intimidation. Athlete A gets its name from the moniker served to Maggie Nichols – the first girl to report Nassar to USA Gymnastics. Despite being described as a “shoo-in” for an Olympic team place, soon after reporting her numerous sexual assaults, Nichols didn’t even make the reserves.

2000 Olympian Gymnastic team member Jamie Dantzscher attends Larry Nassar's trial. (Netflix )
Sports documentaries often romanticise the almost pathological desire to win possessed by so many athletes and their adjacent organisations. On Netflix series The Last Dance, during his second season with the Bulls, Michael Jordan plays through an injury that has a 10 per cent chance of ending his entire career. Coach Buddy Stephens of Last Chance U is so determined for East Mississippi Community College’s American Football team to win the league that he punches a referee. In Cheer, the Navarro College Bulldogs Cheer Team tumble from the top of mammoth pyramids with ankle sprains and wrist pain, because risking broken bones and paralysis is better than disappointing their coach. After watching Athlete A, I reconsidered the cost of winning. What is an acceptable amount to pay? Millions? Time with family and friends? A young woman’s life? When do you stop screaming more and ask:
Should we stop? Are you okay?

Through the work of investigative journalists at the Indianapolis Star and a strong prosecution team, Nassar was eventually convicted. He will remain in jail for the rest of his life. The documentary shows footage from the moment in court when survivors were allowed to stand up and address Nassar. “You pretended to be on my side,” 2000 Olympian Gymnastic team member Jamie Dantzscher told him. “You knew I was powerless.” I cried listening to these women’s stories.

Nassar might have robbed Nichols of her chance to be on an Olympic team. But now she plays gymnastics at Oklahoma University, where she just became the NCAA Gymnastics Champion. “Elite gymnastics does kind of beat me down, as a person, as a woman,” Nicols says before the end credits roll. “I’ve found my love for the sport again.” Even if Nichols never got another medal, she’d still be winning.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-...ntary-athlete-a-cost-of-winning-a9588096.html

 

[MenInG]

British gymnasts, including Olympians and elite competitors, claim the sport is riddled with cases of physical and emotional abuse with some suggesting their complaints about welfare issues weren't taken seriously by the governing body.

One former elite artistic gymnast who retired after a decade in the sport told Sky News she was "beaten into submission" by a coach.

Another young Olympic hopeful said he was bullied to the point that he considered taking his own life and felt abandoned by British Gymnastics.

Meanwhile, a former welfare officer told Sky News a "culture of fear" existed within the organisation where concerned coaches and parents were too scared to voice their concerns.

Gymnasts have been prompted into speaking out after Netflix documentary Athlete A fully exposed the scale of abuse in USA gymnastics which allowed convicted paedophile and former Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar to continue offending.

Now British athletes say a similarly toxic culture pervades the sport here.

One former elite artistic gymnast who retired after 10 years in the sport described sustained abuse over a period of several years at the hands of her coach.

"Mental and physical abuse was entirely the norm," she said.

"Our coach mimicked the most extreme abuse as if it were a training method.

"We were taught to be more scared of our coach than of the skill we were attempting and that that was the only way to achieve it.

"I'll never know if it was possible to be my level without it or if I could have been even better if I wasn't beaten into submission."

The woman, who is now in her mid twenties, says fat shaming is a routine part of the sport, even for younger athletes.

"I was 15 in elite gymnastics," she said.

"My coach has me stand in my crop top and shorts next to an 11-year-old - also in crop top and shorts.

"They made my squad, my best friends, point out everything 'wrong' with my body that she didn't share.

"With each point, my coach grabbed at my body... the barely-there love handles, the thick thighs, the six pack that isn't as prominent as hers."

Sky News understands that an athlete who represented Great Britain at the Rio Olympics is among those who have made complaints to British Gymnastics about physical and emotional abuse at the hands of their coach.

Another female gymnast who trained at a centre of excellence and was hopeful of going to the Olympics says the abusive environment drove her out of the sport.

She made a complaint to British Gymnastics but claims it was not properly handled.

She said: "Several gymnasts from the club would have extreme panic attacks because they were scared to do a skill or were exhausted.

"They would just stand in front of the equipment and cry and begged to go home but wouldn't be allowed to.

"Gymnasts would pretend to get a drink but would sneak on to their phones and call their parents because they couldn't cope in the environment any longer.

"As a result of this, coaches would threaten to lock our phones away so we couldn't beg for help from our parents."

Several gymnasts have also told Sky News that they were encouraged to train on existing injuries which often made them worse.

One girl, who is still only 17, said: "We would be made to believe that our injuries were made up - or they didn't really exist.

"They would constantly question us, trying to make us believe our injuries weren't really there and that we were being pathetic.

"If we felt an injury during a training session and told our coaches they would get angry at us and sometimes throw ice aggressively in our direction - this eventually led to many of us gymnasts just training on injuries as we were too afraid to speak out.

"Many of the gymnasts now have long-term injuries they will never recover from due to the over-use and working through pain."

British Gymnastics say they are encouraging all athletes to report abuse to their integrity unit.

In a statement, they said: "British Gymnastics condemns any behaviour which is harmful to the well-being of our gymnasts.

"Such behaviours are completely contrary to our standards of safe coaching. Our Positive Coaching Behaviours programme which is mandatory for all coaches sets out clearly why such behaviours are harmful and unacceptable.

"Our Integrity Unit investigates all allegations of emotional abuse and bullying that are reported to us or identified by our national network of club Welfare Officers and takes disciplinary action to prevent recurrence.

"British Gymnastics is here for every gymnast across the country. There is nothing more important for us than the welfare of our participants and we continually strive to create a culture where people feel they can raise any concerns that they may have."

https://news.sky.com/story/british-...into-submission-amid-culture-of-fear-12022525

 

[The Viper]

British Gymnastics admits 'error' for not telling girl's parents about abuse claims

Spoiler

British Gymnastics have admitted they were wrong for not telling the parents of a child about allegations she was being physically and emotionally abused by her coach.

In 2012, witnesses told British Gymnastics that Catherine Lyons was allegedly hit by her coach hard enough to leave a hand print on her thigh which was spotted by another parent at the end of a training session.

Lyons, a former British and European champion gymnast, was 10 at the time of the alleged incident.

But the allegations were not reported to Catherine's parents and the pair didn't become aware of them until years later.

Another child gymnast, who trained alongside Catherine, provided a statement to British Gymnastics in January 2012.

It read: "We were all doing conditioning together and Catherine wasn't doing it properly. [The coach] sent her out of the group and told Catherine to condition by herself.

"Catherine went into the back gym to do an arm set. She still wasn't doing it properly, at this point [the coach] stormed into the back gym and shouted at Catherine and got so angry that she slapped Catherine.

"When Catherine came out of the back gym she had a big red hand print on her thigh where [the coach] had slapped her so hard."

The coach was investigated and briefly suspended but was reinstated, and it was not until 2017 and after additional allegations had been made by Catherine and others that the coach was suspended again.

Lyons, who has now retired from the sport, claims she was dragged into a store cupboard by her coach as a form of punishment and had her calories restricted even when she was as young as 10.

Lyons, now 19, also claims she was beaten with a stick on one occasion.

In a statement, British Gymnastics accepted they did not follow protocol.

They said: "You rightly identify an error in not notifying the gymnast's family in regard to the concerns raised in 2012 which would be usually part of our standard process. Any physical abuse is unacceptable.

"An initial investigation occurred in 2012. While it was deemed that suspension was not merited, she was asked to conduct training in regard to safeguarding best practice, which was completed.

"However, following further disclosure from the gymnast, a referral was made to the Local Authority Designated Officer."

Separately, witnesses from at least three centres of excellence for gymnastics training have told Sky News they were regularly "fat shamed" and subjected to verbal abuse by their coaches.

Scarlett Williams, who trained at Nottingham Gymnastics Academy, told Sky News that gymnasts would be so scared during sessions that they would have panic attacks.

"Our lunch boxes would be checked and if any 'packaged food' was in there of chocolate or sweets it would get thrown away," she said.

"The gymnast would then be targeted throughout the whole session as a consequence. Comments were made to gymnasts like, 'you can't land that skill from all the sweets you have been eating'.

"Gymnasts would be followed by their coaches on social media and if they were to post any type of unhealthy food they would be shouted at and embarrassed in front of the whole gymnastics team the next day in line up.

"This is emotional abuse, we would get weighed and would be praised for losing weight or told to watch what we ate if we had put any on."

In a statement, Nottingham Gymnastics Academy said: "The allegations that have been brought to our attention are deeply concerning. No one should ever be subjected to the kind of treatment you describe.

"British Gymnastics has confirmed to us that their Integrity Unit investigates all allegations of emotional abuse and bullying that are reported to them - as a result it would not be appropriate for us to discuss individual cases that may be under investigation.

"There was a significant change in the leadership of Notts Gymnastics Academy in early 2015. Athlete welfare is at the heart of everything we do today at NGA and ensuring that our gymnasts are happy and healthy is a central focus of our Academy values.

"We do however acknowledge that we can always be better and in addition to training our staff and supporting our in-house welfare team, we have invested in a number of initiatives and external partnerships to ensure we maintain a culture of continuous improvement with respect to athlete welfare."

A UK Sport spokesperson said: "The integrity of the high performance system is paramount and so we are quickly but thoroughly working to establish the facts with British Gymnastics before deciding on the appropriate response."

https://news.sky.com/story/british-...ing-girls-parents-about-abuse-claims-12023055

 

[MenInG]

Wonder how many other coaches are taking advantage of their wards?

 

[Saj]

Horrible to watch this.

The girls were vulnerable and with very little support and he took advantage of that.

I'm sure this goes on in many other sports.

 

[MenInG]

Nicole Pavier says an eating disorder still "plagues" her life. A former England gymnast, she says she was weighed every day during her career.

Pavier, 24, told BBC Sport how she developed bulimia when she was 14 and that she retired three years later after becoming "a shell of a person".

She is one of several gymnasts to speak to BBC Sport about what they called a "culture of fear" within the "mentally and emotionally abusive" sport of gymnastics.

British Gymnastics has announced an independent review will take place following allegations of mistreatment from a number of athletes in recent days.

"It is clear that gymnasts did not feel they could raise their concerns to British Gymnastics and it is vital that an independent review helps us better understand why so we can remove any barriers as quickly as possible," said chief executive Jane Allen.

Pavier said she became "terrified" she would put on weight, and would find "mechanisms" to try to prevent her from doing so.

"Being an adult now, you really realise how much it has affected you, from the eating disorders, the chronic pain, waking up having nightmares every night, never feeling good enough," Pavier said.

"It has such a long-term implication."

She alleges gymnasts were weighed twice a day sometimes, and claims her coach, Claire Barbieri, would "discuss people's weights in front of the whole group" and display their weights on a whiteboard.

Barbieri told BBC Sport she has "never, to date, ever had any formal complaint raised against me by a gymnast".

"I acknowledge that the regime for training elite gymnasts can at times be a tough one," she said in a statement. "However, throughout my career I have followed British Gymnastics best practice and I continue to treat the welfare of the gymnasts I coach as my top priority."

She added: "In line with standard practice at the time, the club had a system of weighing and measuring the elite gymnasts daily. Following advice from the GB medical team this was reduced to twice a week.

"I am fully aware of the risks of eating disorders amongst gymnasts and ensured that professional advice was obtained and followed where potential issues had been flagged.

"Although a whiteboard was used initially, I acknowledged some gymnasts' concerns with this and changed the practice - introducing a system where the gymnasts had more privacy and kept their own records."

British Gymnastics' independent review will be conducted by Jane Mulcahy QC.

Allen said: "The behaviours we have heard about in recent days are completely contrary to our standards of safe coaching and have no place in our sport. The British Gymnastics integrity unit is set up to investigate all allegations when reported or identified by our national network of club and regional welfare officers.

"There is nothing more important for British Gymnastics than the welfare of our gymnasts at every level of our sport and we will continually strive to create a culture where people feel they can raise any concerns that they may have."

Pavier says she was 21 when she gained control of her eating disorder, but admits she is still "picking up the pieces".

"I still hate the way I look, I still feel like I'm overweight, I still wake up and don't want to eat breakfast some days or won't eat anything," she says.

"There is no day where I'll wake up and look in the mirror and be happy with what I see."

Athletes 'sat on and made to sit in cupboards'
BBC Sport also heard testimonies from several other gymnasts - at all levels of the sport, who had several different coaches and trained at several different clubs - as well as some parents.

From their testimonies, BBC Sport has learned how some gymnasts were allegedly:

Made to sit in store cupboards if they cried or refused to perform a skill in training;
Hit by one coach on the legs with a wooden stick;
Sat on if they were not fully on the ground while performing the splits.
It was claimed one coach made their gymnasts do three hours of conditioning after seeing some of them eating chips.

Another coach is said to have made theirs line up and watch as they ordered cleaners to search through bins to find discarded snack wrappers.

Other gymnasts also said they trained through injuries. A parent told BBC Sport her daughter broke her wrist during training. As soon as her daughter was out of a splint, she says she was made to use the wrist in moves, once causing her so much pain she vomited.

One gymnast says she broke a rib in training but chose not tell her coach, with the injury eventually causing a punctured lung that prevented her competing and training for a year.

Many of the gymnasts BBC Sport spoke to say they still suffer psychological effects, including anxiety and depression, for which some remain on medication and others are receiving therapy.

One says she continues to have night terrors, years after retiring, while a parent told of young gymnasts she knew of whose hair had fallen out because of the stress they felt.

Coaches would frequently "scream" at gymnasts and their parents, with one parent saying they had been "groomed" as well as their children, who they knew would be "punished" if training methods were not accepted.

Many of the athletes spoken to said they would not want any children they may have in the future to do gymnastics.

British Gymnastics declined to comment on any individual cases but told BBC Sport in a statement: "British Gymnastics condemns any behaviour which is harmful to the wellbeing of our gymnasts. Such behaviours are completely contrary to our standards of safe coaching.

"Our integrity unit investigates all allegations reported to us or identified by our national network of club welfare officers and takes disciplinary action to prevent recurrence.

"We have worked particularly hard in recent years to ensure that our athlete and coaching culture is transparent, fair and inclusive.

"British Gymnastics is reaching out to any gymnast, either current or past, that has concerns around specific incidents or behaviours and encourages them to contact our integrity unit."

'We want to show support'
Last week, British former gymnast Jennifer Pinches, who competed at the London 2012 Olympics, reached out to fellow gymnasts on social media.

"We wanted to come together and just show our support for anyone that has been mistreated," the 26-year-old told BBC Sport.

"It's about gymnasts and a support network coming together.

"Unfortunately, certain types of behaviour have become a bit normalised in gymnastics, unacceptable behaviour - and it's not just Britain, it's across the world.

"There's a better way, we know that, so we want to take a stand against any kind of damaging behaviour and support those who have experienced mistreatment. We want a safe happy and healthy environment for gymnasts."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/53290256

 

[MenInG]

British Olympians Becky and Ellie Downie say abusive behaviour in gymnastics training became "ingrained" and "completely normalised".

It comes after several gymnasts told BBC Sport about what they called a "culture of fear" within the "mentally and emotionally abusive" sport.

The Downies said they had previously been afraid to speak out.

"We certainly didn't realise how wrong it was at the time," they said.

The World Championship medallists, both current members of the GB squad, added in a statement on Twitter: "It's taken years and years to understand and come to terms with it.

"While exact experiences obviously vary, we both recognise the environment of fear and mental abuse those before us have described so bravely.

"For too long, the health and wellbeing of young girls has been of secondary importance to a dated, cruel, and - we'd argue - often ineffective culture within women's gymnastics training."

On Tuesday, British Gymnastics announced an independent review will take place following allegations of mistreatment from a number of athletes in recent days.

The governing body told BBC Sport on Thursday: "The behaviours we have heard about in recent days are completely contrary to our standards of safe coaching and have no place in our sport.

"It is clear that gymnasts did not feel they could raise their concerns to British Gymnastics and it is vital that an Independent Review helps us better understand why so we can remove any barriers as quickly as possible.

"This review will ensure that all those with concerns about safeguarding and abuse have the correct and proper channel to raise any issues."

'Deep scars which will never be healed'
Ellie Downie, 20, says she has been made to feel "ashamed" of her weight for almost all of her career, and to this day "still hides food".

"This never-ending focus on my weight has left deep scars which will never be healed, I suspect," she said.

"After a deep emotional battle, I've finally found a place to be happy with my body outside of the gym, but I'll always feel overweight whenever I'm in a gymnastics setting.

"We've seen too many girls descend into eating disorders and mental health problems because of this, and while this is changing, there is still a culture of less is best."

Her older sister Becky, 28, said it is only over the last few years that she has felt strong enough to "stand up for herself", adding that they are "no longer routinely weighed".

They say they have raised their concerns and shared their experiences with British Gymnastics.

"We're speaking out now, just a year before the peak of our sport, the Olympic Games, because we have a duty to the wellbeing of the young children coming into gymnastics, and their safety is more important than any Olympic medal."

They added: "We hope by speaking up today, we'll not only support those who have already done so, but also encourage others who may want to, but have so far felt unable to do so.

"We'll do everything in our power to see the sport showcase itself for what it should be: a place for boys and girls to have fun, be healthy and take it as far as they want to on their own terms."

UK Sport 'knew of abuse allegations'
The BBC has learned that UK Sport knew of allegations of abuse in gymnastics as recently as summer 2019.

After several gymnasts spoke out earlier this week, UK Sport, which funds Olympic sports in the UK, responded saying the allegations were "shocking and upsetting".

But the BBC has seen emails from last year in which two different parents separately emailed UK Sport's Head of Integrity in June and July 2019 regarding different allegations around safeguarding and alleged abuse.

A face-to-face meeting was due to take place between the head of integrity and one parent - but was later cancelled by UK Sport.

That parent said in an email: "I still hope that one day someone will finally listen and prioritise the welfare of children over medals. Perhaps you will be that person?"

A spokesperson for UK Sport told the BBC: "There is absolutely no place in sport for abuse or bullying of any description.

"It is important to note that UK Sport doesn't have the authority to intervene in employment matters within a sport, but we are absolutely committed to draw on all available measures to ensure that the high performance system is a safe environment for all athletes."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/53357280

 

[MenInG]

There were more than 160 cases of sports coaches engaging in sexual activity with a 16- or 17-year-old in their care since 2016, a BBC investigation has found - prompting campaigners to say the law must be changed "urgently".

Victims, MPs and the NSPCC have renewed calls for a legal "loophole" to be closed to ban anyone holding a position of responsibility over a child from having a sexual relationship with them.

It is illegal for certain professions, including teachers and doctors, to engage in sexual activity with children, even if they are over the age of consent.

However, the Sexual Offences Act does not extend to sports coaches.

The Ministry of Justice is carrying out a review of the legislation, and says it will outline its plans "in due course", but Sarah Champion MP said the figures obtained by the BBC were "irrefutable" evidence that the law needs to be changed "immediately".

A Freedom of Information request by BBC Sport asked all councils in England and Wales for complaints made to them about cases involving sexual activity with a 16- or 17-year-old by a person potentially in a position of trust.

The complaints are referred to the local authorities because they do not constitute a potential crime under the Sexual Offences Act.

In the last four years 164 cases involved sports coaches or adults working in sport, out of a total of 1,481 cases recorded.

Ms Champion, MP for Rotherham, told BBC Sport: "There is a gaping legal loophole that perpetrators of child abuse are walking straight into.

"I've been raising this with government for six years now and my frustration is that we keep on having reviews.

"In the intervening years while the government hasn't acted and has just had consultation after consultation, more children have had their lives wrecked."

She said the BBC's figures for the number of cases "makes it irrefutable to the government that they have to act on this", but warned the numbers are the "tip of the iceberg".

"The vast, vast majority of these cases will never be reported," she said.

"And part of the reason for that is these sports coaches are grooming these children into believing they are in a legitimate relationship. It's not. It's an abuse of their power position.

"It will take sometimes decades for the young people to realise exactly what was going on and speak out about it. So 160 people that we know about will be a tiny minority of the actual people that are abusing their position."

Although abuse of positions of trust by sports coaches is not a criminal offence, unless they work in an educational setting such as schools, some councils referred the cases onto the police for consideration of further action.

It is also possible the relevant sports governing bodies and other safeguarding authorities were alerted to these cases, and may have followed their own disciplinary proceedings.

A government spokesperson said: "Abuse of power is abhorrent and these crimes rightly carry tough sentences. We have reviewed the law in this area and will set out our plans in due course."

This area of the law has been the subject of scrutiny for several years.

In 2017, in the wake of the football child sex abuse scandal, then Sports Minister Tracey Crouch announced that a change to the law had been agreed by the Ministry of Justice and Home Office.

However, it has been subject to a lengthy judicial review, and the Sexual Offences Act remains unchanged.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/53357381

 

[MenInG]

British Gymnastics boss Jane Allen says she is "appalled and ashamed" following allegations of abuse within the sport.

Chief executive Allen is under pressure after Olympians Becky and Ellie Downie claimed abusive behaviour in gymnastics became "completely normalised" and several athletes told the BBC of "a culture of fear" in the sport.

An independent review will take place.

"Any mistreatment of gymnastics is completely inexcusable," Allen said in a letter to all member clubs.

"I pay tribute to those that have spoken out - their bravery will help drive change within gymnastics."

She added that "we clearly need to do more and quickly" and that "fundamental issues within the athlete/coach relationship" have been highlighted.

Allen said British Gymnastics will "not seek to influence" the review.

"The right thing is to ensure that an independent eye looks at the complaints raised this week and the systems we have in place," Allen said.

On Thursday, the British Athletes Commission (BAC) said it had written to British Gymnastics and UK Sport about the review "to reiterate the need for a comprehensive, fair, and truly independent process".

"Athletes must trust the integrity of the process and feel confident that they can provide further evidence without fear of retribution," a BAC statement added.

The Downies say abusive behaviour in gymnastics training became "ingrained".

"We certainly didn't realise how wrong it was at the time," they said in a statement on Twitter.

"While exact experiences obviously vary, we both recognise the environment of fear and mental abuse those before us have described so bravely."

The Downies said they had previously been afraid to speak out.

British Gymnastics told BBC Sport on Thursday: "The behaviours we have heard about in recent days are completely contrary to our standards of safe coaching and have no place in our sport.

"It is clear that gymnasts did not feel they could raise their concerns to British Gymnastics and it is vital that an Independent Review helps us better understand why so we can remove any barriers as quickly as possible.

"This review will ensure that all those with concerns about safeguarding and abuse have the correct and proper channel to raise any issues."

UK Sport 'knew of abuse allegations'

The BBC has learned that UK Sport knew of allegations of abuse in gymnastics as recently as summer 2019.

After several gymnasts spoke out earlier this week, UK Sport, which funds Olympic sports in the UK, responded saying the allegations were "shocking and upsetting".

But the BBC has seen emails from last year in which two different parents separately emailed UK Sport's Head of Integrity in June and July 2019 regarding different allegations around safeguarding and alleged abuse.

A face-to-face meeting was due to take place between the head of integrity and one parent - but was later cancelled by UK Sport.

That parent said in an email: "I still hope that one day someone will finally listen and prioritise the welfare of children over medals. Perhaps you will be that person?"

A spokesperson for UK Sport told the BBC: "There is absolutely no place in sport for abuse or bullying of any description.

"It is important to note that UK Sport doesn't have the authority to intervene in employment matters within a sport, but we are absolutely committed to draw on all available measures to ensure that the high performance system is a safe environment for all athletes."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/53369831