On Tuesday, USA Gymnastics released a statement announcing the termination of its agreement with the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville, Texas. Karolyi Ranch has been the training center for USA Gymnastics since 2001. This announcement comes after 140 athletes have come forward accusing Larry Nassar, USA Gymnastics team doctor, of sexual abuse:
USA Gymnastics terminates agreement with Karolyi Ranch
This comes one day after Aly Raisman expressed that athletes should not be sent back to the facility.
Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images for Hilton
“USA Gymnastics has terminated its agreement with the Karolyi Ranch in Huntsville, Texas. It will no longer serve as the USA Gymnastics National Team Training Center.
“It has been my intent to terminate this agreement since I began as president and CEO in December. Our most important priority is our athletes, and their training environment must reflect this. We are committed to a culture that empowers and supports our athletes.
“We have cancelled next week’s training camp for the U.S. Women’s National Team. We are exploring alternative sites to host training activities and camps until a permanent location is determined. We thank all those in the gymnastics community assisting in these efforts.”
The ranch is a state-of-the-art gymnastics facility and was recognized in 2011 as an official U.S. Olympic training site. The U.S. National Team hosted camps once a month at the facility.
This announcement by USA Gymnastics comes one day after Olympian Aly Raisman told ESPN’s Outside the Lines that athletes should not be sent back to the facility:
“I hope USA Gymnastics listens because they haven’t listened to us so far. I hope they listen, and I hope they don’t make any of the girls go back to the ranch. No one should have to go back there after so many of us were abused there.”
Olympian Simone Biles also made similar remarks in her powerful statement on Twitter:
“It breaks my heart even more to think that as I work towards my dream of competing in Tokyo 2020, I will have to continually return to the same training facility where I was abused.”
Nassar is currently in a four-day sentencing hearing, during which more than 100 women are expected to read Victim Impact Statements.
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