After A Gymnastic Coach Harasses Athletes, England Provides Bullying Complaint Services At The Olympics

Illustration of Egyptian gymnast Habiba Marzouk (Twitter tokyo2020)

JAKARTA - British athletes competing in this year's Tokyo Olympics will be able to report concerns of harassment, both physical and psychological, through an independent complaint service, according to British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Anson.

The move comes after 17 former gymnasts in the UK last month filed a class-action lawsuit against the sports organization British Gymnastics on charges of a series of abusive behavior.

The group, which is made up of three Olympic athletes, provided a "Warrant" containing allegations of physical and psychological abuse from the coaches.

"One of the things we confirm when we arrive in Tokyo is that athletes know who they can contact if they have trouble in the neighborhood," said Anson.

"It's not their manager, but someone outside the scope. It can't be someone in our management structure."

Last year, British Olympic medalist Amy Tinkler and several others also spoke of their experiences with British Gymnastics, accusing coaches of bullying and "commenting on physical form."

"There has to be an independent hotline that you can call without fear of any accusations and that is very important," Anson added.

"We do have policies and procedures, but if those policies and procedures can't be implemented or if athletes feel we're not on their side, then that's not true."