Artistic Gymnastics 2020 Discussion Thread

[intoronto 5,639]

https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/summer/gymnastics/quebec-gymnast-thierry-pellerin-arrested-1.5636344

 

What a scumbag 

[Wumo 3,002]

Denmark has withdrawn from hosting the 2021 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships due to be held in Copenhagen in October 2021

https://www.gymnastics.sport/site/news/displaynews.php?idNews=2917

[heywoodu 15,141]

@thiago_simoes (hoping you're still here, although this isn't good)

 

Here we go again, this time coming from the Netherlands. Former gymnast Joy Goedkoop was on the main Dutch sports program last night, where she accused Vincent Wevers (yes, Lieke and Sanne's father and high-level coach) of kicking and hitting her. "Not daily, although the ignoring, getting angry and humiliating did happen on a daily basis." For reference: Goedkoop trained with Wevers between the ages of 7 and 12.

 

Goedkoop then moved to training with another coach, Gerben Wiersma. "There the physical violence was over, but there as well it was not humane. There was no space at all for injuries, tiredness or any other sort of feelings."

 

This all came a few days after yet another coach, Gerrit Beltman (Renske Endel's coach among others), came out sort of by himself about what he had done in the past: humiliating and abusing (not in that way, but you get the point) young gymnast during trainings. According to him, he wasn't the only one doing so. Several gymnasts spoke anonymously in the same interview/article, including one who now turns out to be Goedkoop.

 

Lastly, Goedkoop about Wevers and the Dutch federation (KNGU): "I know they know things about him, but nothing has ever been done."

 

So there we go.

[Dnl 691]

What about the competition that due to take place in November/October/September are they all postponed? Some? Or maybe they will take place

[Grassmarket 3,408]

30 minutes ago, Dnl said:

What about the competition that due to take place in November/October/September are they all postponed? Some? Or maybe they will take place

What’s preventing most sports now is the complexity of travel arrangements between different nations.  So for a non-professional international sport like gymnastics, I don’t think we’ll see many events this year.

[heywoodu 15,141]

And now it's on to Belgium, where the aforementioned Gerrit Beltman was the head coach in the most part of the 2000's, mostly in the 'era' of Aagje Vanwalleghem. Dorien Motten has said she has experienced similar things. About her time in the national team:

 

"I was humiliated, intimidated and bullied. Every day I was told I was useless, lazy and fat and I would never get anywhere. When I cried, that was filmed and then showed around to show that I was a crybaby who wasn't strong enough to be an elite gymnast. Hearing this every day made me believe it myself. I got to a point where I truly believed I was worthless and I should be grateful these coaches even still wanted to work with me."

 

According to Motten, the national federation was told about all these things going on and did nothing. After retiring, she decided to come back to the sport (away from the national team of course), and started training in Germany. There she realized what had happened to her wasn't normal: "In Germany, the gymnasts were coached in a positive manner, without mental games."

 

 

[heywoodu 15,141]

Here's actually a whole lot of other examples, Belgian gymnasts are posting a lot to social media these days because of this, some in English.

 

https://sporza.be/nl/2020/07/27/turnster-getuigt-turnbond-deed-beloftes-maar-niks-veranderde~1595825965650/

[thiago_simoes 1,423]

@heywoodu I'm sad to hear about all of this. It's heartbreaking.

[Federer91 2,796]

Russian and chinese athletes are like "Is this all you've got" 

[Grassmarket 3,408]

9 minutes ago, Federer91 said:

Russian and chinese athletes are like "Is this all you've got" 

Afraid so.  Being tough is the only you are getting out of Magadan.