British Gymnastics bans coaches from weighing gymnasts in new safeguarding rules.

New British Gymnastics rules will prevent coaches from weighing gymnasts, which they describe as “harmful practices”.

As a result of inadequate practice, the Whyte Review in 2022 found that there was “systemic” physical and emotional abuse in the sport.

As part of the “tyranny” of weight management, athletes’ gear was searched for food.

Eloise Jotischky, a former gymnast, said that weights were used as punishments.

“In the past, there were no policies relating to excessive and inappropriate weight management, so coaches were able to exploit that and use very harmful practices,” Jotischky said.

British Gymnastics admitted full liability and apologized in June 2022 after Jotischky became the first – and to date only – gymnast to win a civil suit against them for abuse from coach Andrew Griffiths.

According to Griffiths, who is no longer a coach, she was left “physically exhausted” after being subjected to inappropriate weight management techniques in 2016 and 2018.

It’s a big step,” Jotischky said of the new policies. The importance of concrete evidence cannot be overstated.”

In the new rules, gyms now have to adhere to policies instead of guidelines, which means no gymnasts under 10 can be weighed. Under the age of 18, gymnasts above that threshold can only be weighed with the consent of their parent or guardian.

In addition, the safeguarding rules state that only medical or sports scientists may weigh individuals, based on a “scientifically valid rationale.”

Athletes should only weigh when they are experiencing a growth spurt, or when they are trying to determine their optimum strength and conditioning exercises.