British Gymnastics has been accused by a campaign group of a “serious institutional betrayal” by not including more people on a list of banned coaches and members.
Those on the list, which will be continually updated, have been given a time-limited ban or expelled from British Gymnastics because of a criminal conviction or safeguarding, conduct or disciplinary reasons.
“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of all those involved in our sport,” said Geraldine Costello, British Gymnastics director of welfare and safe sport, after the list’s publication.
“While anyone banned or expelled had already been removed from the environment, we believe publishing this list is in the best interest of the sport and the wider public.
“It is one part of a much bigger programme of reform that we are continuing to put in place with the input of gymnasts, coaches, clubs and parents so that we can ensure we deliver an uplifting gymnastics experience for everyone involved in our sport.”
However, Gymnasts For Change said other coaches “meet the criteria” and should have been included on the list.
“The publication of British Gymnastics’ expulsions list is an indictment against a failed organisation struggling to tackle the immense task of reforming its coaching cultures,” it said.
“Today’s failed act by British Gymnastics represents a serious institutional betrayal for many complainants and their families across the UK who have fought hard over the past three years to report abuse in gymnastics.”
Describing the list as an “empty promise”, Gymnasts For Change said: “As it stands, this list allows many coaches known to Gymnasts For Change, who hold sanctions and who meet the criteria for inclusion in the list, to not be named and instead remain in the sport, leaving the ‘coach-led culture of fear’ described by the Whyte Review to continue with business as usual.”
In June British Gymnastics was criticised for its “inept and dysfunctional” system a year after the publication of the damning Whyte Reviewwhich detailed “systemic” issues of physical and emotional abuse within the sport.
The list, which was not suggested as part of the Whyte Review’s recommendations, shows bans and expulsions dating back to 1994.
It includes two Olympians – Brian Phelps and Stan Wild – but contains only three people sanctioned since June 2022, when the Whyte Review was published.
Those subject to a temporary suspension because of ongoing investigations have not been included on the list.
British Gymnastics declined to comment on Gymnasts For Change’s statement.
The Gymnast Parent Alliance said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the list, with several coaches “conspicuously absent”.
In a 306-page report, the Whyte Review outlined incidents of athletes being made to train on broken bones, punished for needing the toilet and sat on by coaches. More than 90 clubs and more than 100 coaches were mentioned by gymnasts in the course of Anne Whyte KC’s investigation.
Gymnasts were subjected to excessive weight management, which left some with eating disorders described as the “tyranny of the scales” by Whyte.
The report anonymised the hundreds of athlete submissions it received and did not identify any coaches.
In an interview with BBC Sport, Whyte commended British Gymnastics for publishing the list, but said she was “surprised” by the lack of detail provided.She added the publication of the list was a “step in the right direction” but she suspects “it doesn’t go far enough”.Referring to the 10 people expelled since the Whyte Review was commissioned in 2020, Whyte said: “People might be surprised that in three years so few complaints, particularly of a safeguarding nature, given the systemic findings of my review, have been upheld.”
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