British Gymnastics has been accused of “serious institution betrayal” and a “lack of transparency” by campaign groups, who say the organisation’s newly created list of 62 banned coaches does not go far enough.
Former Olympians Brian Phelps and Stanley Wild are among those who have been given limited bans or expelled from British Gymnastics, owing to a criminal conviction or safeguarding, conduct and disciplinary reasons.
However, Gymnasts for Change said many other coaches also met the criteria for a sanction, after the abuse scandal that came to light in 2020, and so should have been included on the list.
“The publication of British Gymnastics’ expulsions list is an indictment against a failed organisation struggling to tackle the immense task of reforming its coaching cultures,” it said in a statement. “It represents a serious institutional betrayal for many complainants and their families across the UK who have fought hard to report abuse in gymnastics.”
The banned list follows last year’s Whyte review, which painted a shocking and often sickening picture of the culture at all levels of the sport – and named more than 90 clubs and more than 100 coaches.
Anne Whyte found that girls as young as seven were sat on by coaches to “overstretch” their bodies, while others were strapped to bars for long periods of time as punishment. Meanwhile elite athletes were starved, body-shamed and abused in a system that ruthlessly put the pursuit of medals over the protection of children.
Gymnasts for Change also warned that the decision would have consequences, as it would lead the “coach-led culture of fear” described by the Whyte review to continue. The Gymnast Parent Alliance said it was “profoundly disappointed” by the list, with several coaches “conspicuously absent”.
“We have consistently advocated for British Gymnastics to take a more transparent approach by publicly identifying coaches responsible for harming children through emotionally and physically abusive coaching techniques.”
However, Geraldine Costello, British Gymnastics director of welfare and safe sport, said the list was in the best interest of the sport and the wider public. “Nothing is more important to us than the safety and wellbeing of all those involved in our sport,” she said.
