Harrowing abuse in UK gymnastics - 'grooming, forced sex, no toilet breaks'

22 February 2024 , 19:30

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Jess and ex-Gymnast Nikki O'Donnell both allege former Olympian Stan Wild sexually abused them

British gymnasts as young as seven have been spat on, slapped and fat-shamed by coaches, a damning report revealed.

Over the last few years, former gymnasts in the UK have fought for justice and spoken out about their experiences of physical, emotional and sexual abuse by their adult coaches. A shocking 2022 report by Anne Whyte laid bare the harrowing extent of the scandal, with more than 400 submissions made by traumatised athletes.

Tonight, a new documentary chronicling their fight for justice airs on ITV and addresses how the victims' abuse devastated their future lives, driving many to anorexia and alcohol addiction. In the film, gymnastics coach Carlton Webster warns: "Today, in a gym right now, some kid is being verbally abused, physically abused... God forbid it, sexually abused. Today. Fact."

Claire Heafford, founder of campaign group Gymnasts for Change, believe 'medals were prioritised over athlete welfare'

Two years ago, the 306-page Whyte Review exposed incidents of children being spat at, slapped by coaches, gaslighted and refused toilet breaks whilst training to become world-famous athletes. The hard-hitting report, jointly commissioned by UK Sport and Sport England in 2020, found that the well-being and welfare of athletes were not at the centre of British Gymnastics' culture.

The most heartbreaking claims included a seven-year-old girl who was sat on by her coach while being forced to extend a stretch; an athlete denied a toilet break and told to climb a rope; gymnasts deprived of food and water and forced to hide snacks in their socks and an elite gymnast who was made to stand on a beam for two hours because she was scared to try a new skill.

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Half of the admissions reported emotional abuse and nine percent involved sexual abuse. The report concluded the difficulties now facing gymnasts in the UK are "borne of inadequate practice and procedure". There was a sense that British Gymnastics had "not only failed to prevent or limit such behaviours but had condoned some of them in the pursuit of national and international competitive success".

Campaign group Gymnasts for Change said "ultimately, medals were prioritised over athlete welfare", a statement that officials denied. At the time of the Whyte Review, British Gymnastics wanted to "wholeheartedly apologise" to the athletes who had suffered and said that it would "not shy away from doing what is needed".

A Government spokesperson recognised the courage of those who came forward to share their experiences and said: "It is vital that everyone participating in sport feels safe and secure, with any allegations of inappropriate or harmful behaviour taken with the utmost seriousness."

Jess claims British Gymnastics coach Wild placed his hand on her privates and 'breathing strangely'

In the shocking ITV documentary that airs tonight, titled Gymnastics: A Culture Of Abuse?, former Olympian Stan Wild is placed at the centre of the sex abuse allegations. He has denied them all. An ex-neighbour of the British Gymnastics coach claims that he also interfered with her. Jess, who does not want to give her surname, says she visited the home of Wild when she was eight.

Whilst playing with his daughter's fancy dress box, she recalled walking into the garden in a tutu and claims Wild asked if she had wet herself, before patting her privates. She claims: "He asked if I needed to get changed. I remember feeling really embarrassed. It was then he crouched down and touched me. He was breathing strangely and ­quivering. As an adult I understood he was turned on."

Now a mum-of-two, Jess says she is speaking out after reading an article by another of Wild's alleged victims, ex-gymnast Nikki O'Donnell. She says: "I read Nikki's story and my blood went cold. I knew in my heart who it was. I felt physically sick. He stole my innocence. Everything changed when that happened to me."

Nikki has alleged she was sexually assaulted many times between the ages of nine and 14, but despite complaints, Wild was allowed to carry on coaching for years. She tells the show: "I noticed as I got older that where he was putting his hands wasn't normal. He wrecked my life, emotionally, mentally."

Nikki claims the abuse led to anorexia, with her weight down to 6st when she was 5ft 7in, as well as alcoholism. She says: "I started drinking at 14, by 16 I was dependent. I would have a drink before school and have spirits in my water bottle at school. By the time I went to college, I was an alcoholic."

Ex-Gymnast Nikki O'Donnell claims her experience of sexual abuse led to anorexia and alcoholism later in life

The programme also details allegations that Wild, now 79, touched two of his pupils inappropriately at a gym in York, and how another coach plied a gymnast with booze on tour. Wild denies all the allegations, including Jess's, and no charges have been brought by North Yorkshire Police. He competed in two Olympic Games and founded the York City gymnastics Club in 1974. He was banned by British Gymnastics in 2021 for "safeguarding" reasons.

There are other claims in the film, with shocking allegations made against other coaches which claim to uncover a culture of abuse that has been allowed to permeate the sport for decades. Stuart Woods, a former private school teacher and gymnastics coach was jailed in 2021 for 11 years. He sexually abused a pupil and groomed two others.

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Harrowing details from one of the boy victim's impact statements read out in court describe the devastation caused by the abuse. "Not only did Stuart deprive me of my dignity and my virginity, but he poisoned my perception of my parents, my friends and my family while convincing me the only person that would be there for me was him," it read.

British Gymnastics told ITV it is "halfway through an extensive programme of action to make gymnastics safe, positive and fair for all. The reforms are a joint effort involving experts and abuse survivors, who have been a vital part of the development of new safe sport policies. Abuse, mistreatment and harm have no place in gymnastics. We urge anyone with concerns to come forward."

• Gymnastics: A Culture Of Abuse? airs on ITV1 and ITVX at 9pm tonight.

Amanda Evans