The very young gymnasts Renske Endel and Verona van de Leur are sitting at the talk show table in loose-fitting tracksuits. Barend & Van Dorp† It is 2002, there are seven (!) European and World Cup medals on the table. A historic highlight for Dutch gymnastics. But when the presenters ask how they celebrated it, the girls react dully. Yes, they did have some banquet, but then just went to bed early.
Twenty years later, Endel is still unsure how they felt after their victories: “I think we were happy. I thought…’
The women were among the best in the world, their team was twice named sports team of the year, but they were not able to enjoy their performance. Continued training was the motto. “We were just trained to pieces,” says former teammate Gabriëlla Wammes. She threw away some of her medals. After everything that’s happened, they’re worth nothing to her. And she’s not the only one to think so.
How badly the gymnastics culture was in the heyday of Renske Endel, Suzanne Harmes, Gabriëlla Wammes and Verona van de Leur, could be seen this week in the binge-worthy series The Golden Light †VPRO† It shows a meticulous reconstruction of years of abuse of power by their coaches Frank Louter and Gerrit Beltman, based on penetrating interviews and sometimes frightening archive images.
The women talk about their girlhood dream of endless cops, soaring in the air and perfect landings on the mat. But soon the pupils became more and more in the grip of bully coaches on whom they depended to gain entry to the Dutch squad. The women are humiliated, verbally abused, beaten and subjected to a militaristic regime. Everyone knew, no one intervened.
The titles of the three shocking episodes are Child† adolescent and Female, three things they shouldn’t be. Shapes, curves, fat couldn’t stand their trainers. That some girls hung above the toilet bowl to achieve the right weight left Louter cold. This led to some women not having their periods until after their gymnastics career. Some still struggle with eating problems.
The manipulation by the men penetrates so deeply that the girls blame themselves when something goes wrong. Even after their retirement, if the abuses via sports magazine heroes come out, Endel feels sorry for her former trainer. She knows it’s not right, but that’s what brainwashing does to you.
After their stories have become public, there is a dead silence. Louter denies in a conversation with one of the gymnasts. In fact, she would have imagined everything. Only when Endel’s former trainer Gerrit Beltman confesses guilt in very veiled words, the women are believed. An investigation and report will follow in 2021. Neither coach has ever been fired.