British Gymnastics: Chairman ‘deeply sorry’ for athlete abuse

British Gymnastics chairman Mike Darcey has apologised to the gymnastics community for failing to act on allegations of mistreatment within the sport.

The governing body was criticised in 2020 after a number of ex-gymnasts say they trained under a “culture of fear”.

“We must do better to ensure there is no place for abuse in our sport,” he wrote in an open letter on Wednesday., external

“We have let you down, and we are deeply sorry for that.”

“We must make it clear to the whole membership that abusive practices including training on injuries, bullying, shouting, and weight-shaming are not acceptable,” he added.

“Our engagement with those raising concerns has not been good enough.”

An independent review into allegations began last year but Darcey said changes will be made before the Whyte Review has been published.

“We are determined and committed to change within British Gymnastics and it is not necessary to wait,” he added.

Among the changes, Darcey announced there would be fresh appointments made on the executive board, with the new members having a focus on “safeguarding and integrity, the athlete voice and to bring broader representation from the gymnastics community”.

The new members will sit alongside the recently appointed chief executive Sarah Powell.

The former Sport Wales CEO replaced the then chief executive Jane Allen when she retired in 2020 after a decade in charge.

Read more here https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/gymnastics/58243350