[11][12][13][15] However, this inquiry has been criticised for being constrained by a narrow framework that did not address the broader issues present in the sport, resulting in the report providing recommendations that treated the symptoms rather than tackling the underlying problems and further legitimising and approving of the activities occurring that had upset parents and athletes.
"[12] In July 2003, gymnastics coach Geoffery Robert Dobbs was formally sentenced for life in jail with no prospect of parole on charges of molesting and producing child sexual abuse material of 62 girls aged from 12 months to 15 years old between 1972 and 1999.
[19] In 2021, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) responded to enquiries by the ABC to confirm the 2013 suspension of husband and wife coaches, Sasha and Olga Belooussov, for an 18-month period for the verbal abuse of a gymnast.
[43] Nonetheless, the introduction of the National Integrity Framework as the independent body for complaints saw controversy, with concerns were raised about a conflict of interest held by the SIA NST CEO, John Boultbee.
This program was designed to provide a platform for individuals and groups to formally convey their personal experiences and inform prospective changes to procedures, guidelines and behaviours within Gymnastics Australia control.
[75][76] While Peggy Liddick had denied the allegations of bullying and emotional abuse, Georgia Bonora's complaint had been supported by her former Australian teammates, Shona Morgan, Olivia Vivian, Chloe Gilliland and Ashleigh Brennan.
[83] The former president of Aidrie Edge Gymnastics Club, Brady Dalcin, then filed a formal complaint against AGF in November 2022 over its decision to keep the sanctions that had been levied in 2018 secret, stating that all coach discipline information should be made public for athlete protection.
[89] The McFarlane case sparked an internal investigation in Canadian gymnastics in 2018 by Shearer Parnega, a Toronto law firm, which revealed a systematic pattern of GymCan failing to act on misconduct complaints back to 2012.
[110][111] At the time of this letter, a former member of GymCan's board of directors, Kim Shore, disclosed that she had received over 100 complaints from parents over the previous five years and described a coach who had physically and emotionally abused their athletes who was still working in Canada.
[7] In this program, six former athletes disclosed experiences of abuse, violence and harassment in their time in the French team, as well as a systemic disregard for the health and wellbeing of gymnasts as humans, treating them only as performance objects.
[7] Allegations included forced participation in training and demonstrations despite injuries, body shaming, pressure to lose weight through extreme diets leading to eating disorders and psychological violence, towards gymnasts who were minors at the time of the abuse.
[119] The FFG president, James Blateau, released a statement stating he was providing his "full support to the victims", and that an exceptional meeting of the federation's executive board had been called to discuss the measures to be taken.
This followed former national team members, Nina Corradini and Anna Basta, speaking out about their experiences of humiliation and extreme pressure regarding their weight while spending time at a rhythmic gymnastics academy.
[127] In mid-January 2023, the Federation Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG) convened an emergency council to discuss the future of Emmanuela Maccarani, the technical director of Italy's national rhythmic gymnastics training centre, and her assistant, Olga Tishina, following allegations of abuse.
However, the Tecchi confirmed that Maccarani would continue to serve as the Italian national team's head coach until a decision was made regarding the allegations of mistreatment under investigation by both sports and criminal authorities.
[133] In March 2023, artistic gymnastics coach Eleonora Gatti faced precautionary suspension by the Federal Court while awaiting trial for criminal charges relating to allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards underage athletes, both verbal and physical, and stalking.
Male coaches were alleged to make inappropriate comments about athletes' bodies, engage in abusive practices such as snapping bra straps, and deny requests to wear shorts during menstruation, and it was raised that competition judges would mark down routines if underwear was visible.
[156] On February 10, 2021, Gymnastics New Zealand made public the final report detailing the findings from the past year's independent review, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to address the deeply rooted issues of abuse within the sport's culture.
[157][158][159][160] Lead reviewer, David Howman, supported by Dr Lesley Nicol and Rachel Vickery, produced a comprehensive 60 page document that outlined the issues plaguing New Zealand gymnastics.
[157][158][159][160][161] The report highlighted a number of issues within Gymnastics New Zealand, including abusive coaching, body image concerns, eating disorders, limited access to medical treatment, bias in the judging process, fears of speaking up, and a loss of trust.
[157][158][159][160][161] An emphasis was placed on the need for a rest and the creation of unity within the gymnastics community, and that while the New Zealand cultural issues were considered less severe than some other international cases, the recommended actions aligned with global efforts to address abuse within the sport.
Furthermore, GNZ committed to implementing the recommendations from the report and announced plans to establish a seven-member steering committee, comprising survivors, athletes, human rights representatives, and members of the gymnastics community.
[162] The review and GNZ's subsequent actions in the immediate release period received public support from Sport NZ CEO Raelene Castle, who applauded the bravery of survivors for coming forward.
While this funding covered the review itself and the establishment of Sport NZ's Independent Complaints Mechanism that was used for the gymnastics community, the cost of implementing the 50+ recommendations within the report was placed upon GNZ presenting financial hurdles moving forward.
Former Commonwealth Games gymnasts, Oliva Jobsis and Dr. Georgia Cervin, spoke out about feeling sidelined, with progress being insufficient and GNZ and Sport NZ employing a strategy of exhaustion and victim-blaming.
[172] In July 2022, GNZ formally approved the steering committee's work plan, titled "Shaping the Future of Gymnastics in Aotearoa", which covered four themes: Integrity, Health and Wellbeing, Environment and Culture, and People and Programs.
To help direct change, GNZ appointed Andrea Nelson, the former head of the 2022 Cricket World Cup, as their new CEO, and confirmed the development of a progress document to align with the road map released in July 2022.
In October 2020, as the Whyte review was underway, then British Gymnastics CEO Jane Allen announced her December 2020 retirement, acknowledging her responsibility for the organisation's past failures in protecting athletes.
These allegations involved inappropriate physical form, failure to address injury, inadequate supervision, abusive coaching techniques, harmful weight management practices, bullying and lasting psychological effects.
[208][209] In the United States, more than 368 people, primarily minors at the time of the abuse, alleged that they were sexually assaulted by gym owners, coaches and gymnastics program staff across the country across two decades starting in the 1990s.