Physical and emotional abuse ‘systemic’ in UK Gymnastics

In a sad week for the sport of Gymnastics, an independent review has described the physical and emotional abuse within the sport at ‘systemic’. 

The Whyte Review was commissioned by UK Sport and Sport England to look at the welfare of gymnasts, and the outcome is damning for British Gymnastics, while also a vindication for the brave athletes who have spoken out at the culture of abuse they suffered. 

Athletes were forced to train while injured, punished for needing the toilet, sat on by coaches and had their bags searched for food.  

The review said the difficulties now facing British Gymnastics, the sport's national governing body, are "borne of inadequate practice and procedure", and reflect a culture which was the product of "the way in which people behaved and were allowed to behave". 

Former chief executive of British Gymnastics, Jane Allen, who retired in December 2020, was criticised in the report for a ‘lack of leadership’. 

British Gymnastics said it wanted to "wholeheartedly apologise" to the gymnasts involved and that it would "not shy away from doing what is needed". 

Anne Whyte QC said: "I hope that the findings in this report will allow the gymnast community to feel that the failures of the past have been publicly recognised and enable the sport to move forward and make positive changes. 

"I am confident that the sport of gymnastics is already undergoing change for the good." 

Recommendations to British Gymnastics focus on four key areas: safeguarding and welfare, complaints handling, standards and educations, and governance and oversight. 

The recommendations include: 

• All club owners and managers should have mandatory safeguarding training, and high-performance gymnasts should have access to an independent disclosure service and dedicated welfare officer outside their club. 

• British Gymnastics must have a fit-for-purpose case management system that covers number and nature of complaints, and must ensure all welfare-related complaints about employed coaches are independently investigated. 

• The organisation should appoint a director of education and increase its direct contact with registered clubs. 

• British Gymnastics must appoint independent board members with relevant expertise.