Former gymnast Nicole Pavier mentioned British athletes had been subjected to "baby abuse" and that the findings of an impartial evaluate confirmed bodily and psychological mistreatment at golf equipment
The evaluate, led by Anne Whyte QC, was commissioned by UK Sport and Sport England in August 2020 following allegations of mistreatment inside the sport in Britain.
The report discovered that British gymnastics suffered from a cultural downside the place younger athletes had been shamed for his or her weight whereas others had been handed harsh punishments for the slightest errors in coaching.
British Gymnastics, the game's governing physique within the UK, mentioned that it was dedicated to altering the game for the higher and apologised to the athletes who got here ahead.
"This is not powerful teaching and slight mistreatment, that is baby abuse of athletes at a really younger age," Pavier instructed the BBC. "That has a monumental influence on the remainder of our lives from a bodily and psychological perspective.
"This (report) is displaying that it is not only a few unhealthy apples, which we had been led to imagine, and really through the use of our voices we now know that there's a tradition of abuse and these are kids being abused in golf equipment and there are a considerable amount of them."
Gymnasts for Change, a bunch that campaigns for an "abuse-free future", mentioned the suggestions of the report "fall far quick of what's wanted".
"We name on British Gymnastics to implement a brand new most restrict on coaching hours for baby athletes," it mentioned in an announcement.
British athletes have received 15 medals in gymnastics for the reason that 2008 Beijing Video games, having beforehand made the Olympic podium solely 3 times.
