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Even three years after the “Magglingen Protocols” and the measures that were taken, there is a crisis. Now a letter shows: In the national squad of artistic gymnasts, even after the promising new beginning, “fatal abuses in the coaching team” are said to have prevailed.
A lot has happened since the publication of the “Magglingen Protocols”: A reporting office for ethics violations was created, the managing director and head of top-class sport at the Swiss Gymnastics Association (STV) resigned and: the coaching staff of the artistic gymnasts in Magglingen was replaced and new hopes were hired .
Beacons of hope, but they are already gone. A letter that SRF News was able to see shows that there has apparently been a crisis in the hall for months. There have only recently been layoffs.
“Fatal grievances in the coaching team”
The letter went from a majority of the national squad gymnasts to the gymnastics association at the end of April 2023. In the letter, serious allegations are made against the head coach and an assistant coach. There is talk of “fatal abuses in the coaching team”. From severe pain due to unprofessional training, from injuries that are not taken seriously.
Such (mis)acts on the part of the two trainers (…) we cannot understand and we question their professional competence.
The athletes write that some of this pain still exists today. “Such (mis)acts on the part of the two trainers (…) we cannot understand and we question their professional competence.”
Legend:
The performance of the athletes suffered from the situation, as they write to the association.
SRF
The letter also speaks of permanent disputes in the coaching staff. Conditions that are unbearable for top athletes. Little to no sporting progress was made. The gymnasts also write: “We felt the mood among the coaches every day, and it had a negative impact on our training. We felt left alone, our psyche suffered.”
Accused do not respond
The trainer and a trainer were confronted with the allegations, but did not respond to requests from SRF. It is the presumption of innocence. The gymnastics association reacted, writing:
“The STV deliberately did not comment on confidential content and concerns of the athletes in front of the camera. This takes into account the explicit wish of the athletes in this regard and also in terms of safeguarding the corresponding duty of care towards his employees. »
The STV deliberately did not comment on confidential content and concerns of the athletes in front of the camera. This taking into account the explicit wish of the athletes …
He continues to write that he has been working intensively on the situation in the women’s national artistic gymnastics squad for a long time. The content of the letter was taken seriously, it was part of a comprehensive analysis, specifically, various interventions and measures were carried out with different people, such as athletes, the coaching team, specialists, the training situation, medical staff. This included discussions with the athletes. They were advised and accompanied by the STV ethics committee and, as a precaution, notified SSI, i.e. Swiss Sport Integrity, the ethics reporting office.
At this point in time and the ongoing process, we cannot provide any further information.
SRF News asked the SSI reporting office. There one remains vague: “Swiss Sport Integrity confirms receipt of the message and is in the process of clarifying the allegations made. At this point in time and the ongoing process, we cannot provide any further information.”
Negative performance impact
Sports psychologist Cristina Baldasarre is not involved in this case. As an expert for competitive sports, she emphasizes: “Poor training conditions affect athletic performance, in that the athlete has to constantly manage negative emotions and at the same time have to perform 100 percent, which creates inner conflicts.”
For the gymnasts, none of this boded well for the European Championships in Antalya, Turkey, in mid-April 2023. The Swiss women only finished 17th in the team competition and thus missed qualifying for the World Championships. One consequence of this: It is already clear today that the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris will also take place without a Swiss women’s team. The next chance for the team, not for individual gymnasts, will not come until 2028. For some gymnastics careers more than a major setback.
Layoffs about three weeks ago
After the European Championships in Antalya, the said letter from the gymnasts was received by the STV. It becomes obvious that the conversation with the coaches and the association had been repeatedly sought. The STV was apparently trying to find a solution.
In the hall, however, little or nothing has changed for the athletes. “The situation has become unbearable for us,” write the athletes. A month after STV received the letter, the head coach and one assistant coach were fired. That was around three weeks ago.
Legend:
SRF
The fact that the gymnastics association listened to the athletes – they are grateful and confident for that, as they write in their letter: “We (…) still believe that there is enough potential in all of us to achieve better performances, provided the general conditions voices. We want to fight for ourselves and the next generation and do everything we can to ensure that Swiss artistic gymnastics can celebrate success again.” They would want to continue training in Magglingen. And their careers are not over yet.
As of now, the national gymnastics squad trains women – the best in Switzerland – without a head coach. Finding someone is obviously not easy.
Three years after the “Magglingen Protocols”, the STV has to go over the books again.
You can see more on the subject tonight at 9:50 p.m. on the show “10 vor 10” on SRF1.