“Punished or silenced”
Another ex-gymnast speaks out about abuse
January 7, 2025 – 12:24 p.mReading time: 3 minutes
The allegations of abuse in German gymnastics do not stop. Shortly after top athlete Janine Berger, another person is now going public. With frightening statements.
More and more former and active female athletes are speaking out in connection with the scandal in German gymnastics. The German Gymnastics Federation (DTB), the Swabian Gymnastics Federation (STB) and the Art Gymnastics Forum in Stuttgart (KTF) are increasingly coming under criticism.
The critical voices now include Kim Janas, a former gymnast, who provides frightening insights into her experiences in a detailed Instagram post.
Janas ended her career in 2016 when she was just 16 years old. Three cruciate ligament tears forced her to give up. Today she works as a singer and actress, known, among other things, for her participation in “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” in 2022. Now she reports how strong the pressure to perform and the focus on weight were during her time as a gymnast at the base in Stuttgart.
“The topics of food and weight were on the agenda,” writes Janas on Instagram. From daily weighing to bag checks to make sure no candy was brought, everything was closely monitored.
“We used to jump around on the bed at bedtime or use cling film to lose a few grams,” says Janas. The reason: the fear of punishment or exposure during the morning weighing rituals. “Criticism or one’s own opinions had no place, and anyone who tried to defend themselves was punished or silenced.”
Janas also reports that she was portrayed as “fat” despite having a body fat percentage of 9 percent. She was advised to focus on gymnasts with only 4 to 5 percent body fat. Such comparisons would have had a lasting impact on her. “Even eight years later, I’m not completely cured, but I’ve found a way to deal with it better,” writes the now 25-year-old. Nevertheless, it remains an ongoing internal struggle and is still full of shame.
Kim Janas’ contribution joins an increasing number of public statements from former and active gymnasts who denounce grievances in German gymnastics structures. Led by the former selection gymnasts Tabea Alt and Michelle Timm, several athletes recently made grievances at the base in Stuttgart public.
Janas now reveals something similar, as she still clearly remembers a situation after her first cruciate ligament tear at the age of 13. She “immediately noticed that something was wrong and I couldn’t continue training.” Janas continues: “I was 13 years old and my home trainer just said, ‘Oh, I’m not feeling that way.’ I couldn’t perform anymore and I was just in pain.” When she refused to continue training, her trainer responded with the words: “Well then call your mother and go!” After that she was dropped, “since I was no longer of any use.”
There has so far been no statement from the German Gymnastics Federation or the affected institutions in Stuttgart addressing the latest allegations.