The former gymnasts Tabea Alt and Michelle Timm They have reported that they suffered physical and psychological abuse during their sports careers. Alt posted serious accusations last Saturday on his Instagram account. «It is not an isolated case: disorders food, criminal training, painkillers, threats and humiliation were the order of the day. Today I know that it was systematic physical and mental abuse,” wrote the 24-year-old, who ended her career in 2021.
The German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) announced a day later that it will investigate the abuse allegations published by the two gymnasts. The DTB and the Swabian regional section (STB) have “concrete information about possible misconduct by responsible coaches at the national base in Stuttgart,” the federation wrote in a statement in response to a DPA query.
The DTB announced that it will start a research together with regional section and that will also request external support. “The subject of the investigation will be possible misconduct by coaches, as well as errors in the sports performance system at national bases and the handling of possible indications within the structures of the STB and DTB.”
“Until the situation has been clarified and for the protection of everyone, short-term measures will be taken regarding training at the Stuttgart Gymnastics Forum.” “You are not what they did to you!” Alt titled his statement online. He indicated that for a long time he had hesitated to speak publicly about the calamities suffered in Stuttgartbut also in German women’s gymnastics in general.
“The idea of addressing these issues internally seemed safer to me, as the public often has too little background knowledge to make fair judgments or draw the right conclusions.”. Alt ended his career at the age of 21. She was sixth with the team at the 2016 Olympics and won bronze on the balance beam at the 2017 World Championships in Montreal.
In his statement, he explained that three years ago he wrote a detailed letter to his local coaches, the national team coach, the president of the DTB, the team doctor and other people in positions of responsibility. «In it, I used my example to clearly name and make public the deficiencies here in Stuttgart and in German women’s gymnastics in general» and added that with regret he realized that it had been fruitless and had led to nothing.
After these accusations, Two coaches have been temporarily suspended, as reported this Friday by the newspapers ‘Stuttgarter Zeitung’ and ‘Stuttgarter Nachrichten’. The Schwäbische Gymnastics Association (STB), which runs the centre, said it could not comment for legal reasons when contacted by the DPA news agency.
The organization and the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB), which has already announced that immediate measures have been taken, without specifying which ones, plan to create a commission to discuss the matter with gymnasts, parents, coaches and federation officials.
#German #coaches #suspended #accusations #abuse #gymnasts
