The Whyte review is the latest in a series of scandals to hit British sport. The system has to change – if not now, then when?Was it really worth it? That was the first question I asked British Gymnastics’ new chief executive, Sarah Powell, when those stomach‑retching stories in the Whyte review became public. Were those 16 shiny Olympic medals won since 2008 really justified by the human cost – of so many young gymnasts starved, humiliated and abused by a system that ruthlessly put the pursuit of glory over their welfare? “For me it is not about medals and welfare,” she replied. “It can be both and it should be both.”That has certainly not always been the case at...
The Whyte review highlights a need for radical and widespread change in how we go about achieving and measuring success What does sporting success look like? At times it seems so alluringly simple to answer that – surely it has to be crossing the line first, scoring most, standing on the top step of the podium. At other times, such a view seems naive, misleading, verging on delusional. Reading the Whyte Review is one of those times. Anna Whyte’s chilling report on gymnastics forces us to question the purpose of elite sport and ask whether there is space for values and ethical standards in high performance environments. It challenges all of us involved in sport in some way to take...
The 22-year-old became Brazil’s first female Olympic gymnastics medallist at the Tokyo Games and has just become world vault championThere has never been a gymnastics world championships quite like the event that unfolded at the weekend in Kitakyushu, a northern city on Kyushu Island in Japan. In a sport so intense that it is difficult for gymnasts to maintain their peak physical form and workload for extended periods, another major championship so soon after the Olympics forced many gymnasts to make a decision on their participation for an event that is usually the focal point of their year.For most, the choice was simple: Simone Biles and her teammates are currently trawling across the United States on her gymnastics tour, some...
The British gymnast suffered tragedy this year along with the disappointment of missing out on the OlympicsEven for the rare competitors who progress seamlessly throughout their careers, gymnastics is an unfathomably difficult sport. It pounds down on muscles and joints, it requires singular focus for success and because there are so few major meetings four years of unbridled discipline can be undone with a misjudgment by a millimetre or less.Over the past 15 years, even by the standards of most gymnasts, Becky Downie has not had it easy. Since her debut in 2006, when she started as an all-around gymnast, she has established herself as one of the best uneven bars performers. Continue reading...
Gymnast Oksana Chusovitina, 46, eyes an Asian Games medal while Kim Clijsters fights to keep her tennis comeback on trackOne of the most touching moments of the Tokyo Games this summer was entirely spontaneous. During the qualifying round of the women’s gymnastics, 46-year-old Oksana Chusovitina took to the podium in her eighth Olympics as she attempted to qualify for the vault finals one last time. Chusovitina, who won her first world championship golds in 1991 and took an Olympic team gold in 1992, had previously announced that Tokyo would mark the end of her illustrious career.Chusovitina finished 14th in the vault competition that day, missing out on the final after two fine but flawed vaults. In lieu of an audience...