The former top German gymnast Kim Bui has made serious allegations of abuse against the German Gymnastics Federation and the Stuttgart Federal Base.
In an interview with “stern” She criticizes a system that has “manipulated, humiliated and destroyed” female athletes for years. “It affects the entire sport of gymnastics in Germany.” And many of those responsible protected each other.
Bui, who took part in World Championships and the Olympic Games for Germany, trained in Stuttgart for more than twenty years. Opposite the “star” She said that with the current reports from numerous gymnasts, the problems can no longer be dismissed as isolated cases.
In fact, her statements are part of a series of public statements by former and active German gymnasts that have been shaking the gymnastics world for days. They report eating disorders, painkiller abuse, punishing training, threats and humiliation in German professional gymnastics, especially at the federal base in Stuttgart.
>> click here for Kim Bui’s statements at stern.de
As an active gymnast, it is difficult to recognize psychological abuse, Bui told “stern”. “You’re still so young, you see the results, the training methods seem to agree with the trainers, so you don’t question them. You internalize that as an athlete you have to keep your mouth shut and function.” Bui now called for “labor law consequences”.
Gymnastics: Statement from DTB and STB
The German and Swabian Gymnastics Associations (DTB and STB) have responded to the gymnasts’ allegations with a joint statement.
One was “shocked by the numerous statements made by gymnasts”. All complaints and tips were taken seriously. “Preliminary personnel consequences” were drawn before Christmas.
However, after criticism from several gymnasts, “the usefulness and success of the measures introduced so far must now be fundamentally examined in a self-critical manner.”
Kim Bui, born in 1989, was a member of the German national gymnastics team for 17 years and trained at the federal base in Stuttgart. She took part in numerous world championships and Olympic Games. In 2022 she said goodbye to active sports.
Her book “45 Seconds. My Passion for Gymnastics – and Why It’s Not Everything in Life” was published in 2023. She has been a member of the IOC Athletes Commission since 2024.