“Physical and mental abuse”
Serious allegations from ex-athlete – association comments
12/29/2024 – 12:04 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
Former gymnast Tabea Alt made serious allegations of abuse public. Now the association is reacting.
Following allegations of abuse by former gymnast Tabea Alt, the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) has announced an investigation. In this context, the DTB and the Swabian Gymnastics Federation (STB) have “concrete information about possible misconduct on the part of responsible trainers at the federal base in Stuttgart,” the association wrote in a statement in response to a request from the German Press Agency.
The former gymnast Alt made serious allegations on Instagram on Saturday. “It is not an isolated case: eating disorders, punishment training, painkillers, threats and humiliation were the order of the day. Today I know it was systematic physical and mental abuse,” wrote the 24-year-old, who ended her career in 2021.
The DTB announced that it would initiate an investigation together with the STB. External support should also be brought in. “The subject of the investigation will be possible misconduct by trainers, but also errors in the competitive sports system at federal bases as well as the handling of possible tips within the association structures of the STB and DTB,” it said in a joint statement. And further: “Until the situation is clarified and for the protection of everyone, short-term measures relating to training will be initiated at the Stuttgart Artistic Gymnastics Forum.”
Alt had previously commented on Instagram and began her statement with the sentence: “You are not what was done to you!” For a long time she hesitated to speak out publicly about the grievances in Stuttgart, but also in German women’s gymnastics in general. “The idea of addressing such issues better internally seemed safer to me, as the public often has too little background knowledge to judge fairly or draw correct conclusions.”
Alt ended her career in 2021 at the age of 21. She took sixth place with the team at the 2016 Olympic Games and won bronze on the balance beam at the World Championships in Montreal in 2017.
In her statement, she explained that she had written a detailed letter three years ago to her home trainers, the national coach, the DTB president, the team doctor and other people in charge. “In it I clearly identified and made known the grievances here in Stuttgart and in German women’s gymnastics in general using my example.” She regretted that this had been unsuccessful and had led to nothing.