(ATR) The International Gymnastics Federation is developing safe-sport measures to protect its athletes from future instances of abuse.
FIG president Morinari Watanabe issued a statement on Thursday where he vowed to personally help United States gymnasts who have come forward to expose the abuse of former USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
"I can assure you that the FIG, following [IOC] President [Thomas] Bach’s lead, is committed to doing everything possible within our remit to develop an environment of dignity and safety for the entire Gymnastics community," Watanabe said.
"I want to show the gymnasts that their courage to speak out against unacceptable behavior has been and will continue to be rewarded."
Watanabe identifies three pillars where the federation can further safeguard athletes from the type of abuse that led to more than 200 women testifying against Nassar for decades of molestation and abuse.
First, FIG will establish a safeguarding commission that will provide educational material to be distributed to National Federations. The federation will draw from techniques available in the International Olympic Committee’s toolkit on protecting athletes from harassment and abuse in sport.
The IOC addressed the U.S. abuse scandal directly after the IOC Executive Board meeting in PyeongChang. IOC chief Thomas Bach said the organization was "deeply shocked and saddened" by the crimes and that it would defer to an independent investigation determining if Nassar’s abuse ever occurred at the Olympics.
With numerous Olympians and world champions coming forward to testify against Nassar, FIG says it will keep athletes involved in the decision making process regarding safe-sport initiatives.
Lastly, the federation will establish and independent body where future abuses can be reported. The body will have a help desk and legal support for the athletes. FIG will officially announced the body once the governance structure of the body is approved.
The FIG president added that the health and safety of gymnasts will always be his top priority.
"For this reason, I will remain available to listen to the US gymnasts who have asked for change," Watanabe said. "I would like not only to praise their courage but to listen to their ideas on measures that might be taken to foster a culture of mutual respect within the sport."
Written by Kevin Nutley
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