Simone Biles and her colleagues call for the Olympic Council to leave because of Nassar’s case | sports

Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols say the USOPC Board of Directors did not take sufficient action in the abuse case involving team physician Larry Nassar. He was sentenced to 175 years in prison in early 2018 for sexually assaulting hundreds of young gymnasts.

Among those victims were four-time Olympic champions Biles, Maroney, Raisman and Nichols. They believe that the National Committee erred in its handling of the scandal. “The board’s actions demonstrate its unwillingness to address the chronic problems of abuse,” she said. The Wall Street Journal in the message.

The USOPC said in a response that it has already implemented major governance changes in recent years. The letter to Congress underscores their concern and we find it very courageous of the victims that they continue to raise awareness about these issues. The letter refers to issues that the USOPC has handled for more than two years. We continue to do this every day. We have made the most dramatic governance changes in two decades and are fully committed to tackling sexual assault at every level of the sport.”

The top of the USA Gymnastics Association, USA, resigned in 2018 at the behest of the USOPC after the scale of the scandal became apparent. The director of the Olympic Committee also left during that time. The USOPC apologized to the players after Nassar was found guilty of handling the case.

I heard as witnesses

Last month, Beals and other former gymnasts were heard as witnesses by a US Senate committee investigating possible FBI failures in the Nassar case. The police department was said to have reacted with great reluctance when the first signs appeared, allowing the sexual assault to continue for months.

In the Netherlands, several former gymnasts emerged last year with stories about coaches’ behavior across borders. The umbrella sports organization NOC*NSF apologized to the victims on Monday. They will all receive 5,000 euros in compensation for the suffering they have suffered.