'Culture of fear' - Australian gymnasts reveal 'dark and horrible' abuseAustralian gymnast Mary-Anne Monckton said abuse "needs to stop"SYDNEY - A host of former Australian gymnasts have gone public with accounts of physical, mental and emotional abuse in the sport, which left at least one young athlete contemplating suicide. While none of the Australian allegations involves sexual impropriety, they detail body-shaming, neglect and manipulation, prompting Gymnastics Australia to issue an open letter late Wednesday praising those who have gone public. She said she was speaking up "because behind those smiles on the podium, are dark and horrible things that happen in the gym behind closed doors". "The abuse (physical, mental and emotional) needs to stop, or at least be stamped out of our sport," she added. In a bid to encourage further dialogue, Gymnastics Australia said it would set up athlete-led "listening groups" to determine what more needed to be done.

Source: Bangkok Post July 23, 2020 03:56 UTC