Category: ethics

McKayla Maroney victim statement

… It all started when I was 13 or 14 years old, at one of my first National Team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport.

It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was “treated.” It happened in London before my team and I won thegold medal, and It happened before I won my Silver Medal.
For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all alone with himin his hotel room getting a “treatment.” I thought I was going to die that night. 
Because the National Team training camps did not allow parents to be present, my momand dad were unable to observe what Nassar was doing, and this has imposed a terrible and undeserved burden of guilt on my loving family. … 
WXYZ-TV Channel 7 Detroit
Click through to read the entire statement.

will the USA participate in the Winter Olympics?

Both White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley have recently said they might not attend.

White House sends mixed signals on U.S. Winter Olympic participation

Nancy Armour:

The U.S. Olympic Committee is not a government organization – it doesn’t receive direct federal funding – and it will make the call on whether to send a team to Pyeongchang. Any other Olympics, for that matter, too.

And yes, I know all about the U.S. boycott of the Moscow Games in 1980. President Jimmy Carter called for it after the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, but it still was the USOC that had the final say. …

USA Today

Aly’s Victim Impact Statement

Aly Raisman had requested to read a Victim Impact Statement in court on the day of sentencing.

Unfortunately the judge decided not to allow it in the case of Larry Nassar. He was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.

Aly posted it online today:

Larry was the USA Gymnastics national team doctor and the U.S. Olympic Team doctor. He was trusted by so many and took advantage of countless athletes, and their families.

The effects of his actions are far-reaching, since abuse goes way beyond the moment, often haunting survivors for the rest of their lives, making it difficult for them to trust others, and impacting their relationships. It is all the more devastating when such abuse comes at the hand of such a highly respected doctor, since it leaves victims questioning the organizations — and even the medical profession itself — upon which so many rely. …

I am trying now to take back my control, to remind myself that Larry has no power over me. It is never easy, but I am fighting to believe that the sport — which I do love — is independent of Larry and those who allowed him to do what he did. I’ve decided that I can’t let him take gymnastics away from me. …

I want more than anything to make sure the next generation never goes through something like this. …

One in four girls and one in six boys will be molested before they turn 18.

Larry was decorated by USA Gymnastics, by the United States Olympic Committee — he was even named to an advisory board to come up with policies that would protect athletes from this kind of abuse! …

Read the entire statement on The Player’s Tribute.

This Is Survival

Russian gymnasts on the IOC ban

Aliya Mustafina‘s family is directly affected by the ban – her husband, Aleksey Zaytsev, is an Olympic hopeful in bobsleigh and two of his teammates received doping bans just last week. …

RUSSIAN GYMNASTS SPEAK OUT AGAINST THE IOC’S DECISION

Russian Olympic ban

Though I feel badly for all the innocent athletes, coaches and support officials in Russia, a penalty this severe was necessary if anti-doping is to be enforced.

IT HAS taken seven investigative reports and seven years. But at long last the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided on December 5th to punish Russia for running a state-sponsored doping programme …

Russian athletes hoping to compete will have to do so carrying the Olympic flag and singing the Olympic anthem—if they can prove that they are clean. …

The decision is more embarrassing for Vitaly Mutko, Mr Putin’s deputy and the former minister for sport, who has been barred from the Olympics for life. Mr Mutko is also in charge of next year’s football World Cup, which Russia is hosting.  …

Economist – Russia’s overdue Olympic ban is no cure for anti-doping impotence

Russian denials, including those of Svetlana Khorkina, are mostly wrong.

Russia should quit state sponsored doping. Putin must give that order.

Photo: AFP

related – Guardian – Of course Russian sport is corrupt, but then so are the Olympics

Canadian Gymnastics coach suspended

Former Quebec gymnasts accuse coach of sexually abusing them as minors in 1980s, ’90s

Today Michel Arsenault is a prominent competitive coach at Champions Gymnastics, Edmonton.

Champions Gymnastics:

We have just learned of the allegations published by Radio-Canada.

We take these allegations seriously and want to reassure the parents and their children who attend our gym.

Moving forward, Mr. Arsenault will not be involved in any activities at Champions Gymnastics and will not be allowed on our premises.

This decision has been taken to allow our coaching team to pursue the club’s mission to offer our athletes an environment where they will be able to flourish.

For now, we have no other comment.

McKayla Maroney – victim statement

Sports Illustrated

McKayla Maroney: Nassar ‘Deserves to Spend the Rest of His Life in Prison’

Time Person of the Year – Silence Breakers

Time magazine.

See the elbow in the right bottom corner of that photo. It’s a hospital worker from the middle of the country, who doesn’t feel that she can come forward without threatening her livelihood.

#MeToo Movement Is Person Of The Year, ‘Time’ Says

Stop to consider the courage it takes to stand up and make such a painful, personal accusation.

Our thanks to Rachael Denhollander, the first to publicly accuse Larry Nassar.

Eddie Van Hoof being investigated

“The suspension is not a disciplinary penalty, and indeed does not imply any assumption of guilt,” a statement said.

“British Gymnastics confirms that an independent investigation is being conducted into allegations of misconduct relating to Eddie Van Hoof, pending the outcome of which he has been suspended.”

The allegations being investigated have not been specified publicly.

BBC – Eddie van Hoof: British Gymnastics suspends coach amid investigation

I can hardly think of a National Team coach less likely to be guilty of … anything. Let’s wait on the results of this investigation.

Michigan State University and Nassar

MSU fired Nassar on Sept. 20, 2016.

Using as a guide the cost of the child molestation scandal that rocked Penn State’s football program, it could cost Michigan State University more than $1 billion to resolve lawsuits filed by the former gymnasts who were sexually assaulted by Dr. Larry Nassar. …

Incredibly, at MSU, there has been no truly independent investigation to determine just how far up the chain of command did knowledge of what was happening in the gymnastics program go. Who’s inattentiveness and possible negligence allowed Nassar to prey on children for more than 20 years?

Even the gymnastics coach, Kathie Klages, who dismissed complaints from the victims as frivolous and pressured them to stay silent, was allowed to retire and begin collecting a pension without facing criminal charges. …

Detroit News – Finley: MSU cost in gymnast abuse scandal could top $1B

 MSU has a page title Our Commitment where they comment on the Nassar case.

 

related – Lansing State Journal – Editorial: Lou Anna Simon must resign as Michigan State president