US Olympic gold star claims abuse

Maroney accuses known team doctor

Washington – Olympic gold medal-winning US gymnast McKayla Maroney, inspired by the “Me Too” movement, revealed yesterday that she was molested for years by former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.

Maroney, 21, said in a statement on Twitter that Nassar, who is facing trial on more than 20 counts of sexual assault, began molesting her at the age of 13 and it continued throughout her gymnastics career.

“Dr Nassar told me that I was receiving ‘medically necessary treatment that he had been performing on patients for over 30 years’,” Maroney wrote.

“It started when I was 13 years old, at one of my first national team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport.

“It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated’,” she said.

She said the abuse even occurred during the London 2012 Olympics, where Maroney was a member of the “Fierce Five” US squad who won the team gold medal.

“It happened in London before my team and I won the gold medal, and it happened before I won my silver [in vault in London],” Maroney wrote.

Maroney posted her statement with the #MeToo hashtag, the campaign encouraging women to denounce experiences of sexual abuse that has swept across social media in the wake of the wave of allegations targeting Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

“Everyone’s words over the past few days have been so inspiring to me,” Maroney said in the statement.

“I know how hard it is to speak publicly about something so horrible, and so personal, because it’s happened to me too,” she said.

Maroney is the most highprofile US gymnast to speak out so far about sexual abuse by the former team doctor.

“People should know this is not just happening in Hollywood,” Maroney said. “This is happening everywhere.

“Wherever there is a position of power, there seems to be a potential for abuse,” Maroney said. –

‘‘ Wherever this man could find the chance, I was ‘treated’