“C4-5 fracture-dislocation with quadriplegia,” is how the doctors first described his injury. …
… A month after he had won his medal at the Khelo India games, he had joined the national camp in New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi Stadium. …
“I must have done it over a thousand times in my life. Even on the day I got injured, I performed it (Double Back on FX) three times cleanly,” he recalls. The fourth time though, he lost control. “My mind went blank at the top of the jump. …
Sara Teristi … “first met Larry Nassar–the most prolific known sex criminal in American sports history–at a gym in Michigan in late 1988.
She was a young gymnast in a vulnerable state, she says, having been emotionally trampled by her hard-driving coach, John Geddert, a man who made her feel worthless.
Nassar, who was volunteering as team doctor, zoomed in on her right away. …
Today, she says she wrestles more with the psychological abuse of her coach than the sexual abuse of the doctor. …
Dr. Keith Russell, former Canadian Men’s Artistic Gymnastics National Coach and personal coach of two Olympians. Past President of the FIG Scientific Commission.
Aimee Boorman: When Simone became a Level 10 [the highest level before elite], we started talking about her becoming an elite. But when we first submitted videos to get her into [USA Gymnastics] developmental camp, the national team staff declined our request. We were told, no, she’s not ready, even though she had all of these skills, because her uneven bars skills were too weak. So when we did get an invitation to camp, we were very excited and we tried to showcase what Simone was good at.
Nellie Biles: I thought attending this first camp was the turning point for Simone in her career, so I was very excited.
Boorman: Simone was praised by the [national team] coaches about what a great job she had done. Then Martha just railed at her, said she wasn’t working hard enough and that she wasn’t good enough. Simone was devastated …
Boorman: The next camp was only three weeks away, so I talked to Simone and her parents. I never made any decisions without involving her and her parents. I think if she had the same experience at that next developmental camp with Martha, it would have broken her. It may not have taken her love out of gymnastics, but it would’ve made her not want to go back to the Ranch. We decided to decline the next camp. When we did, we weren’t invited back [by Martha] for more than a year. …
Netflix now has the documentary on the USA Gymnastics criminal doctor.
Athlete A is Maggie Nichols.
First, we all need thank Maggie, Sarah Jantzi and Maggie’s parents.
And we all need thank Rachael Denhollander and Jamie Dantzscher.
Now that the criminal doctor is in prison for up to 175 years, it’s easy to forget how difficult were those early accusations.
It’s easy to forget how many very smart people were fooled by the conman. Jamie — at the time — felt he was the only nice adult associated with USA Gymnastics.
The documentary is well done. Recommend it to your non-Gymnastics friends. We can reduce medical malpractice and abuse in future. Protect athletes.
Revisit, too, the selection process for the Rio Olympic team. Certainly Maggie should have been one of the alternates.
An August 2016 article in the Indianapolis Star about USA Gymnastics protecting coaches accused of abuse leads to the explosive revelation that the USAG women’s team doctor, Larry Nassar, had been abusing athletes for over two decades.
This film follows the IndyStar reporters as they reveal the extensive cover-up that allowed abuse to thrive within elite-level gymnastics for more than two decades, the attorney who is fighting the institutions that failed these athletes, and most importantly, the brave whistle-blowers who refuse to be silenced.
I’ve not had any gymnasts use this specific product. Leave a comment if you have an opinion.
kinesthesist tells that they are very popular with flexibility circus performers.
Here’s the pitch:
The Band is a compression back warmer worn on the lower torso with no hooks or Velcro. It improves activation of core abdominal muscles, reduces spinal impact and reduces existing lower back pain.
