Category: safety

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.

Back Bridge over a raging creek

Don’t fall, Chisa.

She was fine other than an injured pinky finger.

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

Jordyn Wieber on Nassar

… “It’s really hard to hear knowing what some of my own friends and teammates went through that. I just want to support them and be there for them.”

“Now that it’s all out in the open, there can be a lot of positive change in our sport because it is one of the greatest sports in the world, in my opinion.” …

Jordyn Wieber supports teammates and hopes for safer USA Gymnastics program

Jordyn’s back in Michigan for that interview. Of course she trained at Larry Nassar’s home club Twistars in Michigan. Nassar volunteered there for more than 20 years. Twistars gymnasts are amongst Nassar’s accusers.

USA CEO Kerry Perry – empowerment

First day on the job. Kerry Perry:

… As a mom, there is nothing more important to me than the safety and welfare of our athletes and promoting an environment where everyone has a voice. …

A culture of empowerment means ensuring that our athletes are encouraged to speak up on difficult issues, such as abuse or misconduct; our members and parents are supported; our staff and partners are highly engaged; and our board and constituents are aligned. Being empowered allows all of us to focus on learning and thriving in a sport we all love so much. …

A message to the USA Gymnastics community from Kerry Perry on her first day

Her statement uses the word empowerment 11 times. It’s a good word.

empowerment

authority or power given to someone to do something …

the process of becoming stronger and more confident, especially in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights

Like most people I’m still not convinced that anything has really changed at USA Gymnastics. I hope I’m wrong.

She lists these initiatives that could actually make gymnasts safer in future:

Creating a dedicated, toll-free number – 1-833-844-SAFE – to report abuse. The dedicated phone line and the safe sport email address (safesport@usagym.org) simplify the process for reporting.

Building an Athlete Task Force. The voices of our athletes, especially regarding prevention, are important, and I want to provide a format that encourages sharing of ideas and perspectives as we build an empowered culture.

Listening Forums. Meeting with and listening to our gymnastics community, partners and constituents are critically important to our efforts. Joined by our safe sport and senior staff members, I will be on the road visiting our member clubs, not only to share our strategic plan and vision, but also, more importantly, to listen, educate and support our athletes, club owners, parents and members to build an empowered organization together.

Best case scenario Kerry Perry names Aly Raisman to the Athlete Task Force. At that point I could start believing USA is serious.

 

 

Kazakhstan’s Milad Karimi interviewed

How is Gymnastics in Kazakhstan these days?

Not good according to a very personal, outspoken interview with the World’s 2017 FX finalist:

Other guys and I were always told the same thing: if there will be medals, we’ll create good training conditions for you. Great, I gave results in 2017, why hasn’t anything changed? For example, we have really bad conditions in Almaty. When it snows, it becomes impossible to train in our gym in the Kazakh Academy of Sports and Tourism – we can get seriously injured because it’s too cold in the gym. So it means that in winter we don’t have a place to train properly, we’re only doing conditioning because it’s not comfortable to train fully clothed in our only gym. …

A: I’m getting paid a bit more than 200,000 tenge a month now [around $600].

Q: What salary did you have before, if it’s not a secret.

A: In 2015, I was paid 15,000 tenge [$45], in 2016 – 30,000 tenge [$90], from January till May 2017 – 110,000 tenge [$333] and from June till September 140,000 tenge [$424]. …

MILAD KARIMI: KAZAKHSTAN’S NATIONAL TEAM DOESN’T HAVE PROPER TRAINING CONDITIONS

Click PLAY or watch his FX on YouTube.

Gymnova P Bar rail breaks

I hope he’s OK.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

(via Learn Gymnastics Code)