2026 Gymnastics Social Media bits

[MaryClare]

Is this a change?

Is what a change?

 

[rlayt]

Is this report on Becky’s behavior (IMO it’s the last conversation topic in this thread) a change?

 

[MaryClare]

Is this report on Becky’s behavior (IMO it’s the last conversation topic in this thread) a change?

No. For most of Becky’s career she has had a stable coach and club. I’d say it changed post 2021

 

[Aizheng]

No. For most of Becky’s career she has had a stable coach and club. I’d say it changed post 2021

I’m sure at least for some of them, it is the fact that Becky (and her sister) spoke out about abusive practices at British Gymnastics, which was not well received by many coaches.

 

[MaryClare]

I’m sure at least for some of them, it is the fact that Becky (and her sister) spoke out about abusive practices at British Gymnastics, which was not well received by many coaches.

If I remember correctly, Becky and Ellie’s complaints related to British Gymnastics as an organisation and not anyone who had personally coached them.

What do you mean by “wasn’t well received by many coaches”?

 

[rlayt]

I was asking because she didn’t appear to have a reputation as being trouble. l think we saw with USAG that lone and early reporters of abuse aren’t well received.

 

[MaryClare]

I was asking because she didn’t appear to have a reputation as being trouble. l think we saw with USAG that lone and early reporters of abuse aren’t well received.

She was neither lone nor early.

I don’t know Becky, but I’ve met her briefly and spent some time around her whilst she was training. She’s not in any way trouble, but she’s her own worst enemy and that has been reflected in her performances at times. BG has likely seen her as “difficult to deal with” for at least a decade, long before she spoke out about her experiences in the sport. Some of that reputation is likely justified- she probably isn’t easy to deal with. Plenty of elite athletes aren’t.

Becky has been successful in getting certain concessions from BG, such as not having to attend national team camps. That won’t have gone down well with everyone. What she wasn’t successful in was being granted the ability to self train. I don’t know if any official reason was given, but it would go against nearly all of the welfare and safeguarding policies that BG have had for at least the past 20 years.

Britain has stricter rules than most other countries regarding what level a coach can coach at. Right down the exact skills. Becky cannot just practice with any coach. Whilst she is on the premises of a BG registered club, she needs a Level 4 coach (high performance) to be present due to the level of skills she does. If she was doing just a strength and conditioning session, she could probably get away with a Level 2 (club) coach. A L1 coach (assistant) is allowed to teach a round off. But you can’t teach a round off onto a springboard until you are L3 (senior club) because that is considered Yurchenko prep. If you do so, your insurance is invalid both personally and as a club.

Not all that many coaches in GB have this qualification and they may not be available outside of the times that their elite squad practices which is usually in the evening. It’s not unusual even at this level that a coach has another, non gymnastics job or that their full time hours are maintained by coaching pre school during the day. Then you add in how the sport and its athletes are funded in the UK and it complicates things even more.

(Apologises if my info on coaching qualifications is out of date, it’s been a few years since I coached in GB)