Category: safety

gymternet fooled by Nassar as well

Nobody has pursued ethics, safety and human rights of gymnasts more doggedly than Jessica O’Beirne, founder of GymCastic.

Many of us wait for each week’s episode to get caught up on everything that’s happened on the Nassar crimes.

Yet Jess was fooled too.

… (GymCastic) interviewed Dr. Nassar in 2013 and has left the episode up in the podcast’s archive, albeit with an altered title, “Serial Pedophile Ex-Doctor Larry Nassar Interview.” …

She agrees with Mr. Barnes and Ms. Hopkins that she, too, was “groomed” by Dr. Nassar after he became a trusted source. “In the industry you get close to sources, and I think there was a delay in reporting because there was a delay in people thinking this could be true.” …

NY Times

I can’t recall hearing a negative word about Nassar online dating back to before 2000. Until women began coming forward.

#conman

Twistars parent – not quitting

My Kid Loves Gymnastics. I Love My Kid. Now What?

Most competitive gymnasts in most clubs are training as usual. Getting ready for their upcoming competitions.

Twistars — at least for now — is no different.

alternatives to USAG

What happens if USAG is decertified?

What if they go broke due to lawsuits?

Tony Retrosi:

On social media there have been many people and groups calling for the decertification by the USOC of USA Gymnastics. If The USOC decides to decertify USAG all that means is that USAG will NOT be determining the Olympic Team.

USAG can still run the JO and Excel Program. They can still run educational workshops, congresses and conferences. BUT- if USAG does get decertified by the USOC, they may have lost the confidence of the American public and they will probably cease to exist.

What would our gyms do  then?

We would continue doing what we do. Teaching gymnastics. We would associate ourselves with a different association.

I met this with with the President of the USAIGC to learn about their program and for my gymThe USAIGC seems to be our best alternative. …

Gymnastics Clubs in the USA- Where Do We Go From Here?

Personally, I much prefer J.O. to the U.S. Independent Gymnastics Clubs WAG program.

Better would be launching a replacement for USAG.

USA Gymnastics, for example.

Open and transparent. Ethical. Safe.

One that might attract back sponsors to the sport.

related – some Clubs have not changed any policies in the wake of the Nassar crimes. That’s a big mistake.

timeline of the Nassar fallout

After more than 150 impact statements from survivors over a period of seven days in a Lansing, Michigan, courthouse, Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced Nassar to 40 to 175 years in prison; Nassar had already been handed a 60-year sentence after pleading guilty to charges relating to child pornography.  …

If those 150 brave women had not come forward, not been the lead on U.S. media, I’m not sure whether USAG, NCAA, MSU and the USOC would have taken the actions they did.

The impact statements were essential in moving forwards.

Read a timeline of events on FloGymnastics.

Icelandic gymnast Tinna Óðinsdóttir was raped

On January 23, Icelandic media site Nútíminn first shared her story. She told IG that she received more interview requests, but agreed to one televised interview with RÚV, the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. …

Óðinsdóttir, who turned 23 on November 3, said is considering filing police reports in Germany and in the country where the gymnast resides. Óðinsdóttir said the Icelandic Gymnastics Federation (FSÍ), only recently notified of the incident, has been very supportive.

“We will support her in the steps she decides to take next,” FSÍ chairman Arnar Ólafsson, told RÚV.

Óðinsdóttir did not identify the individual she said assaulted her or the precise competition where she said it occurred, but she competed at the FIG World Cup event held in Cottbus, Germany, in November 2016 …

Óðinsdóttir Thankful For Support After Revealing 2016 Rape

House passes sexual abuse reporting bill

Good news.

The House passed legislation on Monday to force athletic organizations to swiftly report sexual abuse and establish preventative policies following the sentencing of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

Lawmakers of both parties overwhelmingly supported the bill in the 406-3 vote. It now heads to the Senate …

The Hill

Recall that Steve Penny, Mary Lou Retton and others from U.S.A. Gymnastics met with Feinstein in early 2017 to tell her that gymnastics was “a happy, safe place“.

Andrew Fuller #MeToo

Andrew Fuller, a gymnast who competes in trampoline and tumbling events, has accused former USA Gymnastics coach Dr. George Drew of drugging and abusing him while Fuller was training in Michigan. …

Deadspin

Steven Legendre on salvaging USAG

As many of you know, I was elected to the USAG Board of Directors on January 1st, just under 1 month ago. I was asked to resign just a few days ago, at the request of the USOC with the option to be re-elected to my same position on the new board should my fellow Athlete Representatives feel I am deserving of that role.

I have submitted my letter of resignation to USAG already, but I would like you all to know that this in no way means that I am resigning from my duties to help our sport and be a strong voice that creates the change we so desperately need. …

… a hot topic.

The debate as to whether we can salvage the infrastructure of USAG and create positive change through comprehensive leadership changes, or that the organization is so far gone, so far rotted from the inside, that this is not possible. This is a tough one and I certainly see both opinions on this …

read the entire post on Facebook

related – What’s next for USA Gymnastics? A long, tough road at best

USA Gymnastics faces lawsuits in Georgia, California and Michigan alleging its leaders failed to stop coaches and other officials from sexually abusing young athletes. And the first of those suits is headed for trial in April unless a settlement is reached. Either way, it is likely to be costly.

John Legend, Chrissy Teigen donate $200k

On Saturday evening, the pair gave a $200K donation to the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and if that wasn’t a generous enough feat, check this out—the duo wrote that they gave the money, “on behalf of the heroic gymnasts of the USA Gymnastics Team.” …

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen Give $200,000 to Time’s Up on Behalf of Team USA Gymnasts

sexual abuse by physicians

It’s far more common than we would have guessed.

… In a new survey of nearly 500 women conducted by Women’s Health and the anti–sexual violence group RAINN (the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network), 27 percent said they’d been violated by a doctor—reporting everything from lewd comments to masturbation, inappropriate touching, and even rape. …

First, Do No Harm