GYMNASTICS

UK Sport has described allegations of abuse in British Gymnastics as “shocking and upsetting”, vowing to establish the facts before deciding on an “appropriate response”.

The funding body, which has poured £16,457,953 into the sport during the current Olympic cycle, added its voice to the British Athletes Commission (BAC) which said it was “deeply troubled” by the claims.

Catherine Lyons, a former junior and British champion, and Lisa Mason, an Olympian and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, have publicly accused coaches of having bullied and mistreated athletes.

A UK Sport spokesperson said: “These allegations relating to the treatment of young athletes within gymnastics are shocking and upsetting.

“There is absolutely no place for any sort of bullying or abuse in sport and anyone responsible for such behaviour must be held accountable.”

The spokesperson added: “We are quickly but thoroughly working to establish the facts with British Gymnastics before deciding on the appropriate response.”

British Gymnastics has not commented specifically on the claims but said it “condemns any behaviour” which is harmful to gymnasts and promised to examine specific complaints.

The BAC, established in 2004 as an independent membership organisation to represent the interests of high-performance athletes in Great Britain, said no athlete should endure abuse.

“No athlete should be expected to tolerate an abuse of power or poor practice,” read a BAC statement. “The BAC is worried to hear of athlete experiences which appear not to reflect these standards and would urge that any allegations are investigated thoroughly.”

In addition to the allegations made by Lyons and Mason, a former welfare officer alleged a “culture of fear” existed within British Gymnastics resulting in coaches and parents being too scared to voice concerns.

The BAC currently helps around 1,200 members from across 40 sports.

British Gymnastics promised to review individual claims, if gymnasts approach the organisation directly.

“British Gymnastics is reaching out to any gymnast, either current or past, that has concerns around specific incidents or behaviours and encourages them to contact our integrity unit,” read a statement.