Rewriting Russian Gymnastics

I’ve questioned myself time and again about gymnastics, ever since the ‘Me Too’ messages began appearing on my Twitter feed.   Are we, fans, culpable of supporting a sport which is inherently brutal?   Have we elevated our sport because of the brutality involved in making it to the top?   What is it about gymnastics that has somehow led to the tacit acceptance of abuse as a way of life? Only a few years ago Dominique Moceanu published her book, calling out her parents and her coaches, the Karolyis, as abusive.   Did we stop and listen?   No.   We labelled Dominique an ‘attention seeker’.   And what about ‘Little Girls in Pretty Boxes’?   Did we rush to support the injured parties?   Insist on a sports-wide review of coaching practice?   No.   There was a media storm and lots of huffs and puffs, but we never got round to blowing the house down.   At the end of the day, weren’t we mesmerised by the promise of gold? Abuse has been hiding in plain view for decades , not just in