British Gymnastics Sport England UK Sport

UK Sport And Sport England To Co-Commission Review Into Allegations Of Athlete Mistreatment In Gymnastics

July 16, 2020

“UK Sport and Sport England welcome and support the decision of British Gymnastics to step aside from the review it announced last week and have agreed to co-commission a fully independent review into the serious concerns raised by gymnasts.

“We are working closely with key stakeholders, including the British Athletes Commission (BAC) and the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), to develop the terms of reference and the structure of the review to ensure it has credibility and the confidence of all of those who have had the courage to come forward.

“Our immediate priority is to provide support for all those affected by these allegations. We are working with the BAC as it finalises its plans to assist gymnasts and others who have been impacted to raise their concerns and take part in the review. Further and full details of the support available will be published online as soon as possible.

“We appreciate this is an anxious time for many young gymnasts and their families and we intend to move swiftly to finalise and publish the details of the review.”

BRITISH GYMNASTICS STEP ASIDE TO REMOVE DOUBTS ABOUT REVIEW

At a Board meeting on Tuesday night British Gymnastics made the decision to step aside to allow UK Sport and Sport England to co-commission the Independent Review it first established following concerns raised by British gymnasts about mistreatment.

British Gymnastics originally announced the commissioning of a QC led Independent Review last week. However, to remove any doubt of the Review’s integrity or independence, British Gymnastics has asked that UK Sport and Sport England now co-commission it.

Commenting on the decision, Jane Allen, CEO of British Gymnastics, said: “It is vital the Review is unequivocally independent with full resources to effectively deal with concerns raised by gymnasts. In the past week, the complexities have increased, and it is clear to retain the trust of the gymnastics community we have decided to recuse ourselves from any management of the Review. Our priority is to learn the lessons and ensure the welfare of all those within gymnastics. By stepping aside, we hope the Review can now proceed unimpeded.”

The Review is intended to recognise the importance of the concerns raised and the determination of UK Sport and Sport England to jointly investigate those concerns, and ensure there are actions identified to bring about positive change,  by way of a process that is independent and impartial.

British Gymnastics Sport England UK Sport