Whilst I am the first to admit that very few things in life come close to the elation of performing a double somersault, or successfully landing an ariel on the beam for the first time, there is a fundamental flaw within gymnastics. However, this is not the sport itself, but the environment of fear and abuse that it cultivates, as a consequence of harsh coaching and unreasonable expectations.
In 2022, the matter of systemic abuse within British Gymnastics was drawn into light by the Whyte Review, which deemed the sport as having an ‘unacceptable culture of physical and emotional abuse.’ Stories of body shaming were prominent within the emotional abuse endured, as it remains common for gymnasts to restrict their diets to conform with the idealistic body type perpetuated by their coaches. This desire for slim, slender bodies is, however, a contradictory and unrealistic dream, as in order to have the strength to flip, or even to simply perform a pull up, you need to be strong. Yet rather than encourage healthy eating with protein and fats to build strength, gymnastics coaches instead promote eating disorders, as they yearn to have their female athletes maintain the body type of a pre-pubescent twelve-year-old girl, even if they are in their twenties.
Emotional abuse aside, the physical abuse inflicted upon young children who participate in the sport is diabolical. Having been a gymnast myself from the age of two to 16, it was common to be forced into a stretch resulting in extreme pain, and a constant fear of not being good enough. Additionally, it was also typical for the coach to sit on us whilst we performed an array of balances, only moving on to another girl when the one previously sat on collapsed from the weight. Rather than stimulating a love for the sport, this instead catalysed growing dread around gymnastics as excitement evolved into terror.
On the surface, the Whyte Review of 2022 should be promoting positive changes within the sport, as it encouraged British Gymnastics to prioritise the welfare of athletes above winning. On a global level, progress can be identified with legends such as Simone Biles having a healthy, strong body, and speaking out about her own experiences with verbal abuse regarding her appearance. Nevertheless, despite this being a step in the right direction, real change requires a total upheaval of the current style of leadership enforced, as the issue is entrenched within the gymnastics community.
Ultimately, gymnastics should be a safe place, where self-confidence is encouraged. As it is a common sport for many parents to place their young children into, it should foster a love for exercise, and a passion for vault, beam, bars, and all things gymnastics. I hope that the world of gymnastics is changing for the better, and becoming a place of solace from the worries of life rather than contributing further to that burden.
“File:Simone Biles 2016 Rio beam.jpg” by Danilo Borges/brasil2016.gov.br is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.