British Gymnastics CEO urges creation of independent welfare organization.

British Gymnastics Calls for Independent Body to Ensure Athlete Welfare

The head of British Gymnastics, Mike Darcey, has called on the government to establish an independent body to ensure the welfare of athletes across all sports. Darcey stated that many sporting bodies lack the resources, expertise, and perceptions of bias to adequately safeguard competitors. He believes that establishing a new independent body is the solution to this issue.

Safeguarding Measures Introduced

Sport England and UK Sport have introduced safeguarding measures in the wake of the Whyte Review, an independent investigation published in June 2022 that found numerous cases of mistreatment in gymnastics. The safeguarding crisis in gymnastics has created a backlog of hundreds of historical complaints, and the issues raised by this backlog, along with the parallels seen in other sports, have led to the call for a centralised independent body to prioritise the welfare and safeguarding of athletes across all sports.

British Federations Facing Allegations

The British federations for athletics, swimming, cycling, and bobsleigh are among the sports that have faced allegations of maltreatment of athletes in recent years. British Gymnastics lacks the resources and expertise to handle these cases, and complainants and the subjects of complaints remain in limbo for too long. Additionally, because the national federation acts as investigator, judge, and jury, it risks giving the impression of bias.

Centralised Body in the United States

The United States has a centralised body, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, to handle abuse complaints. The call for a similar body in the UK aims to ensure that the pursuit of success is accompanied by high standards of athlete welfare.