According to the published grievances at the Stuttgart Art Gymnast, accusations of similar conditions at the Mannheim gymnastics base are loud. At the center of criticism: the long-time director and today’s young national coach Claudia Schunk.
They are young, 19 or 20 years. The young women tell us about mental scars and physical impairments. The fact that her self -esteem is cracked or that you cannot compete with your wish because the body is too damaged.
As little girls, they loved gymnastics. They dreamed of successes, medals and the Olympic Games. They were talented and changed from their home clubs to the Mannheim performance center in primary school. But the time there changed her life.
Claudia Schunk – The strong woman in German gymnastics
Now, After top gymnasts like Tabea Alt, Michelle Timm, Janine Berger or Meolie Jauch brave courageously about the years of grievances in the German gymnastics systemthese women also break their silence. The focus of her criticism is Claudia Schunk (52), the long -time director of the Mannheim performance center.
For a good ten years, from 2006 to 2017, Schunk had the sporting say there. The ambitious and hungry trainer led Germany’s record gymnast Elisabeth Seitz to the top of the world.
In April 2017, Schunk went on her next career step. She became a national coach for the female gymnastics youngsters. Since ex-national coach Ulla Koch lets her position as Vice President of the German Turner Association (DTB) rest, Schunk has been the strong woman in German gymnastics. When two trainers were recently released at the base in Stuttgart, Schunk – together with national coach Gerben Wiersma – jumped into the breach and helped out.
But the image of an always helpful, empathetic trainer seems to be doing. The former gymnasts report SWR Sport from partly harsh training methods in Mannheim under the direction of Schunk. They tell about the trivialization of pain and injuries, verbal attacks and punishments.
A serious gymnastics and the consequences
Zoé Meißner was considered a big gymnastics talent. At the age of five she came to Mannheim – full of childish anticipation: “I liked to do gymnastics. It was my passion. At some point going to the Olympics was my dream.” The change from her home club to the federal base was “A complete changeover”. Her talent and discipline initially brought the young gymnast on the road to success. Zoé Meißner became twice German youth champion – on the jump and on the ground.
The training was tough, several hours a day. The units in the performance center took part behind closed doors. For the parents it was often said: we have to stay outside. Yvonne Meißner, Zoé’s mother, remembers: “You always get to say that you shouldn’t watch three or four hours during training. They want the doors and roller shutters to be. So that you don’t get everything that works in the hall.”
“Just horror”
In November 2016, the then 11-year-old Zoé and her home trainer Claudia Schunk drove to Halle/Saale for the DTB squad test. It happened during training. In the event of a floor exercise, she injured herself on both legs when landing. She had severe pain. Yvonne Meißner says her daughter still had to train: “Despite the injury, Claudia Schunk sent her to the bar again.”
For Zoé this experience was “That I still had to do gymnastics with swollen, thick feet, even though I could no longer run, just horror.”
I had to be worn to the buffet by other gymnasts so that I could get something to eat. It wasn’t interested.
Zoé Meißner, former gymnast
We ask Claudia Schunk. She answers us in writing: “Zoe Meißner had injured himself in a training session before the cadres test. Due to this injury, we coach did not let her start at the upcoming squad test.”
Schunk confirms that “We didn’t go to the hospital directly”. We ask further questions: Why did Zoé first have to train despite the injury? How did Schunk take care of Zoé on site? Why was Zoé not brought to a doctor on site? The trainer does not respond to these questions.
Yvonne Meißner is still visibly moved today, eight years later, when she talks about Halle’s incident. It was only on Monday, after returning to Mannheim, that they went to a specialist together with Schunk. The diagnosis: one foot was heavily sprained, Zoé’s other foot was broken. Schunk adds your answer: “We take medical diagnoses very seriously.”
The trust between Zoè, the parents and Claudia Schunk was disturbed by this experience. The Meißners pulled the ripcord. Far too early, at 13, Zoé’s hopeful gymnastics career ended.
Claudia Schunk led Elisabeth Seitz to the world class
Claudia Schunk enjoys high appreciation in German gymnastics. She made Mannheim the most successful German youth center. She formed Germany’s record gymnast Elisabeth Seitz as a world-class gymnast. After the 2012 Olympic Games in London, the Schunger recommended the top gymnast to end her career. Seitz was completely perplexed. She left Mannheim towards Stuttgart.
Elisabeth Seitz (left) and ex-trainer Claudia Schunk (2011)
At that time, Naomi Schachner started gymnastics in Mannheim. She was eight years when she was included in Claudia Schunk’s training group. She says that it was still fun at the beginning, but then the training methods became more authoritarian. “When it came to learning something new where I might be afraid, I was forced to stay on this device until I did the element. I sometimes trained my hands bloody.” Naomi did not manage the element, it was thrown out of the hall or punished with ignorance.
Naomi Schachner suffers from the consequences many years later
Claudia Schunk basically answers us on the subject of punishments. In her memory, she never imposed punishments against gymnasts who would not have dared to have an element. It adds: “I do not want to rule out that I have tried in the past to influence the gymnast more emphatically (…).”
After two years under Claudia Schunk, Naomi ended the gymnastics in Mannheim as a 10-year-old. Even today, at 20, she suffers from the consequences. “I perceive my performance myself as well enough.” She adds quietly:
I often have the feeling that I am not good enough as I am.
Naomi Schachner, former gymnast
Another gymnast who trained as a squad athlete in Mannheim wants to remain anonymous. Your name is known to the editorial team. She is a young woman today. She came to the performance center at six. The girl quickly felt how the system worked there. “I was told that I was too heavy and had to lose weight. It was said that you need a nutrition plan. Then we got nutrition plans that were completely absurd.” The children were banned.
When small gymnasts have to share their victory bonus
Claudia Schunk contradicts. Diet plans were never created and/or handed over to gymnasts or parents. “There were also no food bans. (…) In the past, the gymnasts were weighed and measured once a month in Mannheim.” The body weight, emphasizes Schunk, is a relevant factor in gymnastics with regard to performance and injury prophylaxis at any age.
The gymnast found occupation with the topic of weight as stressful. They also irritated other measures, she says. Girls who were successful in competitions had to hand over parts of their already low victory premiums to the trainers in Mannheim. “I won ten euros”says the former athlete, “And had to hand in half of it to my direct trainer. She finally helped me to achieve this success.”
Claudia Schunk does not find this unusual. In Mannheim there was a so -called “training decline”. As a result, a small part of possible premiums was forwarded to the center. “These payments only benefited the gymnasts (…), not the coaches working there”emphasizes Schunk.
The discomfort of the young gymnast and her parents grew. These made it clear to Schunk that they do not agree how to deal with their daughter in Mannheim. The mother, who also wants to remain anonymous, says to SWR Sport:
The atmosphere in Mannheim was very cool and distant, not warm towards the children at all. They were like work animals.
Mother of a former gymnast
She continues: “The child had to work and perform. And from home you should still put pressure on it so that it works as you would like it to be.”
Did Claudia Schunk go for success over borders?
After two years of gymnastics in Mannheim, the barrel had overflowed for the parents. To protect their daughter, they took consequences. After a last conversation, they reported their child in Mannheim.
Claudia Schunk, the hungry gymnastics trainer. Did she go for success over borders? Has she instructed, implemented or tolerated measures that have harmed the young gymnasts? As a national coach of the female youngsters, she is currently the strong woman in German gymnastics. Schunk says about her work:
The health of the gymnasts must always come first, based on all training circumstances.
Claudia Schunk, national coach young people female
Zoé Meißner experienced it differently. The time in Mannheim damaged her body. The 20-year-old regularly suffers from pain, she has lasting damage after her many injuries. After gymnastics, she tried other sports: badminton or dancing. But that didn’t work. Her pain on the feet, elbows or back in the back were too big.
Too severe pain: the career wish for sports teacher remains a dream
Actually, Zoé Meißner wanted to study in teaching and later give physical education lessons. But she cannot fulfill this career if she could not even fully inform school sports. Mother Yvonne Meißner depresses: “Despite operations, despite the break and despite the weekly physiotherapy, Zoé simply does not become like a girl or a woman who has not suffered these injuries.”
We ask Claudia Schunk again. What does it do with her when some of her former gymnasts still suffer from physical or mental complaints after years? She answers “That it was never my intention to burden the gymnasts and that, my behaviors should nevertheless have been perceived in such a way that this suffered this”.
The German Turner Association recently initiated an investigation of the grievances in Stuttgart. The association should also look at Mannheim.
