RUta Meililtyte was only 15 years old when, in 2012, He climbed on the London Olympic podium with gold in the 100 meters frog. A company that made it legend. But behind that medal, today the Lithuanian swimmer tells a Deep pain: a toxic sports systemmade of pressure, comments on the body and eating disorders.
Ruta Meililityte and the harassment of his former coach
During an investigation by BBC PanoramaRuta Meililtyte spoke openly of her former coach, Jon Rudda prominent figure of British swimming and for years responsible for the elite club “Plymouth Leander”. “His regime shaped me for a while, and then he broke me”said the champion. And again: «When I told him that I caused the vomiting after meals to lose weight, he laughed and replied: “Well, at least you take off the calories of Dosso”».
In another episode, before an important competition, Rudd would have told her that her “sitting was fat”. Phrases that marked it: «For years I have struggled against depression and eating disorders. I was just ashamed to eat ».
Not only Ruta Meililityte: 11 former athletes denounce a toxic environment
Ruta is not alone. Other 11 former swimmers they said they were have been victims of bullyingpsychological pressures and a culture of exasperated food control under Rudd’s guidance. Among these, the Olympian Cassie Pattenbronze medal, which said she was forced to train with a injured shoulder until the retreat.
The youth champion of the Commonwealth Phoebe Lenteryou instead he said that that system has aggravated his eating disorder. All speak of a performance culture brought to the extremewhere the body was observed, judged, modeled, often at the expense of mental health.
Rudd today: from Great Britain to Saudi Arabia
Despite the accusations e An internal investigation of 2012 that recommended his suspension for four months (never implemented), Jon Rudd has continued his undisturbed career. After being director of competitive swimming in Ireland, it is now expected as Technical director of the Saudi Olympic national team. There BBC He tried to contact the technician for a comment, without getting an answer.
The new CEO of the English Swimming Federation, Andy Salmon, admitted the serious institutional shortcomings: “I’m deeply sorry”he declared publicly. Meanwhile, the Federation has announced an extraordinary revision of over 1,500 cases of sports protection from 2002 to 2022.
The price of victory: when success leaves invisible scars
The parable of Ruta Meilutety, from Olympic prodigy to woman who finds the courage to tell, puts the deepest contradictions of elite sport bare. Training at the limit, be monitored, weighed, judged: for many young athletes, the lane becomes a silent prison where the body stops belonging to themselves.
In his story there is all the disenchantment of those who touched the summit and dropped with invisible woundsthat only now the world begins to recognize. Today, the swimmer does not ask for revenge, but awareness. And it reminds us that, behind a medal, a much higher price can be hidden than we see on the podium.
I woman © RESERVED REPRODUCTION