Whyte Review blames ‘coach-led culture of fear’ for British Gymnastics abuse failings
A coach-led culture of fear within British Gymnastics that put glory above athletes’ well-being led to gymnasts being subjected to physical and emotional abuse, a new review has found.
The Whyte Review, commissioned after an ITV News investigation into abuse in British Gymnastics, laid bare the extent of the mistreatment at both elite and amateur levels in the sport.
Of the 400 submissions, more than 40% reported physically abusive behaviour, primarily during training.
This behaviour included physical chastisement, inappropriate training on an injury, the enforcement of excessive training hours, training loads leading to physical pain and exhaustion beyond acceptable limits as well as over-stretching to the point of distress as a form of flexibility management.
It also reported gymnasts were denied food, water and toilet breaks during training sessions.
More than 50% of respondents reported an element of emotional abuse, such as shouting, swearing, name-calling and the use of belittling language. Gymnasts also reported being subject to gaslighting, excessively controlling behaviour and suppressing athletes’ opinions and emotions.
Athletes reported instances of being made to wear a dunce’s cap and being called a “cry-baby” in front of their peers. One parent described how a complaint about their child being called a “f****t” on a daily basis was “shrugged off as a joke” by the club’s welfare officer.
Read more here https://www.itv.com/news/2022-06-16/whyte-review-blames-coach-led-culture-of-fear-for-british-gymnastics-failings