Allegations of abuse against the association
“Broken Bones”: Next gymnast opens up about scandal
January 6, 2025 – 8:51 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Janine Berger also accuses the German gymnastics system of abusing its power. The 2012 Olympic fourth-place finisher is now in therapy.
In the debate about the grievances at the federal base in Stuttgart, former top gymnast Janine Berger sharply criticized the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB). “It has long been clear internally that there are grievances in German gymnastics. It hurts my soul and at the same time makes me angry to see that many talents continue to be destroyed mentally and physically and this must finally come to an end. It’s about Children,” said the 2012 Olympic fourth place finisher in an interview with the “Augsburger Allgemeine”.
There were some discussions internally “that highlighted the grievances, but they weren’t really taken seriously, on the contrary: they simply swept it under the table and advised not to say anything,” said Berger, who gymnastics for SSV Ulm.
Led by the former selection gymnasts Tabea Alt and Michelle Timm, several athletes recently made grievances at the base in Stuttgart public. Among other things, “systematic physical and mental abuse” was denounced. Active female athletes also commented. The German Gymnastics Federation and the Swabian Gymnastics Federation announced an investigation. Two trainers were temporarily released.
The 28-year-old Berger attests that German gymnastics has a system error. “We’re taught to ignore pain and keep our mouths shut. And we’re not talking about little aches and pains here. By that I mean broken bones, torn ligaments and serious injuries. You’re told that you’re just imagining everything or lying,” explained Berger.
She has been in therapy herself for several years. “Anyone who has been so deep in an eating disorder and struggled with depression for so many years knows that it takes a long time to win this battle,” said Berger.
“If you’ve been told for years that you’re only worth something if you perform and you’ve always been busy losing as much weight as possible by throwing up, then that leaves physical and mental traces that I still struggle with today .”
Berger recently expressed sharp criticism of the German gymnastics system on Instagram and accused it of abuse of power and systematic pressure into an eating disorder. “I could never be thin enough and was systematically told that food was bad,” she wrote. She was weighed three times a day. If she weighed just 200 grams too much, she was threatened with exclusion from competitions or training camps, regardless of her performance.
In retrospect, it appears to Berger that “the goal was to systematically destroy gymnasts and break their will,” she wrote. Her conclusion: “If you say something as an athlete, you’re out.”