British Gymnastics announce independent inquiry as further gymnasts make abuse claims

More gymnasts have come forward to highlight the abuse they suffered in the sport, as British Gymnastics announced an independent inquiry.

One eight-year-old revealed how she was tied to a horizontal bar and left there while coaches would scream in her face as she was crying in pain.

Another told of girls being pushed to the floor and dragged by their hair and picked up by their leotard and pushed to the floor.

Others have spoken about fat shaming and being left with eating disorders.

Paige Southern-Reason, now eight, told ITV News: “Every time we cried they just pushed us harder and harder. They just kept on screaming at us.”

At a separate gym, Margaux Derakhshan revealed a catalogue of abuse in which female gymnasts were verbally abused, called “fat, ugly and stupid”, as well as physically abused.

Derakhshan said: “One girl was pushed to the floor and dragged by her hair out of the gym just because she couldn’t get the choreography right. Another was picked up by her leotard and thrown to the floor while the whole gym watched and no one said anything.”

Francesca Fox, who represented Team GB at London 2012, revealed she was first called fat by coaches at the age of 10 and was weighed two to three times a day, while Nicole Pavier said her abuse had left her with bulimia.

She told the BBC: “Being an adult now, you really realise how much it affected you from the eating disorders, the chronic pain, waking up having nightmares every night, never feeling good enough.”

British Gymnastics on Tuesday night announced a QC-led review, with chief executive Jane Allen saying: “It is clear gymnasts did not feel they could raise their concerns to British Gymnastics.”

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