British WAG (and MAG!) talk

[MaryClare]

There is an article summarise the documentary Here (paywalled).

heads should roll at BG merely for allowing adult coaches to share rooms with young gymnasts. Such a glaringly obvious failure to apply any basic safeguarding measures.

BG has not allowed it since 2006, when it was explicitly prohibited. Under 18s were not allowed to share rooms with over 18s. But it certainly was not common practice for adult male coaches to share rooms with teenage female gymnasts.

I remember it clearly, I was 16 at the time, training and coaching in Surrey. It was not a popular rule, and was met with a lot of sighing and eye rolling. It was fine for me to share a room with the 8 year olds I coached, but not with the 18 year olds I trained with.

 

[MaryClare]

Well that was a rougher than expected watch. 75% of it was focused on a former coach at my gym. It was always going to be rage-inducing, but seeing my gym and the cycle path I use every day hit hard. I’ll never cease to be amazed at how humans can be so wonderful and so awful.

The coach Claire Heafford described as emotionally abusive was my mentor coach when I was doing my coaching certificates.
I believe her, but I also don’t have an issue with it, even though it isn’t how I do things myself. Which is probably how the cycle continues in gymnastics. A high profile former student of his was recently suspended from coaching in another country.
It has made me grateful and relieved that my current boss will shout at me YOURE NOT IN ENGLAND ANYMORE when she thinks I’m too soft on the gymnasts.

 

[Gymfan93]

BG has not allowed it since 2006, when it was explicitly prohibited. Under 18s were not allowed to share rooms with over 18s. But it certainly was not common practice for adult male coaches to share rooms with teenage female gymnasts.

I remember it clearly, I was 16 at the time, training and coaching in Surrey. It was not a popular rule, and was met with a lot of sighing and eye rolling. It was fine for me to share a room with the 8 year olds I coached, but not with the 18 year olds I trained with.

It just seems like coaches not sharing rooms with gymnasts is such an easy thing to implement to protect both parties that it should never have been a thing. But I’m probably looking at this through a 2024 mindset. T

 

[MaryClare]

It just seems like coaches not sharing rooms with gymnasts is such an easy thing to implement to protect both parties that it should never have been a thing. But I’m probably looking at this through a 2024 mindset. T

It never was a thing, it’s always been weird and inappropriate. However it wasn’t until 2006 that it was explicitly prohibited by BG when they introduced a rule that prevented under 18s sharing accommodation with over 18s. This has untended consequences, whereby national team members who were over 18 could not share accommodation with those under 18. Over 18s are to my knowledge, permitted to share with coaches

For example. It’s worlds, you’ve 5 gymnasts plus alternate. 3 are under 18, 3 are over 18. That means 4 hotel rooms instead of 3. This is typical of BGs ineptitude. Useless tick box rules, but don’t do anything to actually improve safeguarding

 

[RAFIKI]

 

[RAFIKI]

I think that’s another one biting the dust re Paris. She won’t have any designated selection events under her belt.

 

[blake]

So basically it's Alice, Georgia, Becky, Online, and Ruby left for Olympic selection? Who else is even in contention given injuries? Abigayle Martin didn't show anything in Cottbus that could bump any of them.

 

[RedBirdie]

It will be interesting to see how Amelie Morgan looks

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

So basically it's Alice, Georgia, Becky, Online, and Ruby left for Olympic selection? Who else is even in contention given injuries? Abigayle Martin didn't show anything in Cottbus that could bump any of them.

I think Abigail did improve her position in that she's probably the 3rd best floor worker at the moment. It's a weaker case than any of the others though, notwithstanding we haven't seen Amelie yet.

 

[MaryClare]

I thought Ruby was also injured?

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Is she? I hadn't heard. She did AA at the Welsh championships earlier this month.

 

[MaryClare]

Is she? I hadn't heard. She did AA at the Welsh championships earlier this month.

I must be getting her mixed up with someone else then!

 

[RedBirdie]

MC, were you thinking of Poppy Stickler? She suffered a back and hip injury at the beginning of the year.

 

[MaryClare]

MC, were you thinking of Poppy Stickler? She suffered a back and hip injury at the beginning of the year.

possibly. Or possibly Ruby Stacey

 

[Bob]

possibly. Or possibly Ruby Stacey

Ruby Stacey posted today she was ready to compete this weekend

 

[Gymfan93]

It will be very interesting to see where Morgan is this weekend at the English champs. A solid FX would help her make her case, but I’m not sure she’s done floor at all in NCAA, and it’s never been a particularly strong event for her.

 

[blake]

It will be very interesting to see where Morgan is this weekend at the English champs. A solid FX would help her make her case, but I’m not sure she’s done floor at all in NCAA, and it’s never been a particularly strong event for her.

Luckily for her bars is mostly covered as far as TF goes. She can just concentrate on BB/FX and cleaning up her Y1.5.

 

[Bob]

Amelies great strength is her reliability. I can't wait to see her compete on Saturday and she where she is with routines. I expect them not to be completely clean at this point. I'm hoping she will look good at the British in a couple of weeks.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Luckily for her bars is mostly covered as far as TF goes. She can just concentrate on BB/FX and cleaning up her Y1.5.

I would imagine if Amelie did make the team they'd want her to do bars. She'd likely be on for either GMF or Becky, so there'd be a hole to fill. Ideally GB wouldn't use Ondine if possible.

 

[blake]

Her bars will be very interesting this weekend then, since she hasn't competed an elite bars routine since Tokyo nor has she trained a release on bars since joining Utah afawk.