Dutch triathletes say they have been psychologically and physically abused in the past. That happened at the National Triathlon Training Center (NTC), ten former athletes indicated on Friday in Trouw newspaper.
Earlier this year abuses in the gymnastics world came to light, followed this week by signals from the dance world, via whistleblower Kim Koumans. During a subsequent debate in the House of Representatives, outgoing State Secretary Paul Blokhuis (Public Health and Sport) announced, among other things, that there will be an independent investigation into cross-border behavior within top sport.
The triathletes give in Fidelity among other things, that the pressure to perform was extremely high, with a strong compulsion to lose weight. Athletes faced depression, eating disorders, chronic body aches and suicidal tendencies.
Rembert Groenman, director of the Dutch Triathlon Association (NTB), gives in Fidelity shows that you cannot compare the abuses with the stories from the gymnastics world. He does acknowledge that at the training center in Sittard, “no doubt things are happening that are not good for our athletes and we as a federation take them very seriously”.
slimming pills
27-year-old Charissa Zijlstra is one of the triathletes who told her story in the newspaper. ,,I secretly bought slimming pills and kept it from my parents and trainers. The emphasis was so much on our weight that I was just trying to lose weight while exercising four times a day,” she says.
Earlier this year, the NTB commissioned an independent investigation at the insistence of a number of top athletes and the Center for Safe Sports in the Netherlands. That research was done by the Fijbes Consultancy & Training agency. That report will be released next week.
“If the report indicates that mistakes have been made at the NTC, we must offer a generous apology. And look each other in the eye. And then as a union to get to work on this as quickly as possible,” said director Groenman.
Watch our sports videos below:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and never miss a thing from the stars.