USA gymnastics has announced it will no longer use the national team training centre where former team doctor Larry Nassar carried out abuse of athletes, including Olympian Simone Biles.
The Karolyi Ranch in Texas was named by several of 130 plus women as a place they were abused by the 54-year-old.
“Our priority is our athletes and their training must reflect this,” said USA gymnastics President Kerry Perry.
Nassar was jailed for 60 years for possessing child sex abuse images.
He has also admitted assaulting gymnasts.
Perry continued: “USA gymnastics has terminated its agreement with the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville, Texas. It will no longer serve as our national team training centre.
“We are committed to a culture that empowers and supports our athletes.”
The governing body has also cancelled the women’s national team training camp which was due to take place next week as they “explore alternative sites”.
On Tuesday, four-time Rio Olympic champion Biles became the latest USA gymnast to state she was sexually abused by Nassar.
The 20-year-old is one of more than 140 women to have accused Nassar of abuse, and the latest gymnast after Aly Raisman, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas in what is the biggest scandal of its kind to happen in sport.
In an emotional statement, Biles said: “It is impossibly difficult to relive these experiences and it breaks my heart even more to think that as I work towards my dream of competing at Tokyo 2020, I will have to continually return to the same training facility where I was abused.”
Meanwhile 105 of the more than 130 girls and women who’ve accused Nassar of abuse are expected to speak at a sentencing that started on Tuesday and is likely to continue until next Tuesday before Judge Rosemarie Aquilina passes a sentence for seven sex crimes Nassar has admitted to as part of a plea deal.
Thursday’s proceedings started with the judge addressing a letter Nassar had written. Nassar accused the judge presiding over his case of conducting a “four-day sentencing media circus” for her own benefit, according to extracts read aloud by the judge.
“She wants me to sit in the witness box next to her for all four days so the media cameras will be directed toward her,” Nassar wrote in the letter.
In another extract from the letter, Nassar said he was worried about his own mental state and his ability to handle the continued victim impact statements.
Nassar also wrote that he passed out twice on the morning of his federal sentencing. His letter also said “Aquilina said if I pass out she’ll have the EMTs revive me and then prop me up in the witness box.”
Judge Rosemarie Aquilina remarked about the letter “This isn’t worth the paper it’s written on. There’s no truth in here. It’s delusional,” and that the content of the letter was “mumbo-jumbo”.
Source: bbc.co.uk
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