British gymnasts as young as seven have been spat on, slapped, and fat-shamed by coaches, a damning report revealed. Over the last few years, former gymnasts in the UK have fought for justice and spoken out about their experiences of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse by their adult coaches. A shocking 2022 report by Anne Whyte laid bare the harrowing extent of the scandal, with more than 400 submissions made by traumatized athletes.
Tonight, a new documentary chronicling their fight for justice airs on ITV and addresses how the victims’ abuse devastated their future lives, driving many to anorexia and alcohol addiction. In the film, gymnastics coach Carlton Webster warns: Today, in a gym right now, some kid is being verbally abused, physically abused… God forbid it, sexually abused. Today. Fact.
Claire Heafford, founder of campaign group Gymnasts for Change, believes that medals were prioritized over athlete welfare.
Two years ago, the 306-page Whyte Review exposed incidents of children being spat at, slapped by coaches, gaslighted, and refused toilet breaks while training to become world-famous athletes. The hard-hitting report, jointly commissioned by UK Sport and Sport England in 2020, found that the well-being and welfare of athletes were not at the center of British Gymnastics’ culture.
Campaign group Gymnasts for Change said ultimately, medals were prioritized over athlete welfare, a statement that officials denied. At the time of the Whyte Review, British Gymnastics wanted to wholeheartedly apologize to the athletes who had suffered and said that it would not shy away from doing what is needed.
A Government spokesperson recognized the courage of those who came forward to share their experiences and said: It is vital that everyone participating in sport feels safe and secure, with any allegations of inappropriate or harmful behavior taken with the utmost seriousness.
In the shocking ITV documentary that airs tonight, titled Gymnastics: A Culture Of Abuse?, former Olympian Stan Wild is placed at the center of the sex abuse allegations. He has denied them all. Nikki O’Donnell claims she was sexually assaulted many times between the ages of nine and 14, but despite complaints, Wild was allowed to carry on coaching for years. Wild denies the allegations.
The program also details allegations that Wild, now 79, touched two of his pupils inappropriately at a gym in York, and how another coach plied a gymnast with booze on tour. Stuart Woods, a former private school teacher and gymnastics coach, was jailed in 2021 for 11 years. He sexually abused a pupil and groomed two others.
Harrowing details from one of the boy victim’s impact statements read out in court described the devastation caused by the abuse. Not only did Stuart deprive me of my dignity and my virginity, but he poisoned my perception of my parents, my friends, and my family while convincing me the only person that would be there for me was him, it read.
British Gymnastics told ITV it is halfway through an extensive program of action to make gymnastics safe, positive, and fair for all. The reforms are a joint effort involving experts and abuse survivors, who have been a vital part of the development of new safe sport policies. Abuse, mistreatment, and harm have no place in gymnastics. We urge anyone with concerns to come forward.
Gymnastics: A Culture Of Abuse? airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm tonight.
