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SPORTS Tuesday 16 January 2018

Olympic champ Simone Biles says she was abused by doctor

By WILL GRAVES sought medical treatment.
AP Sports Writer He was sentenced in De-
Simone Biles watched as cember to 60 years in fed-
her friends and former eral prison for possessing
Olympic teammates came child pornography and is
forward to detail abuse at facing another 40 to 125
the hands of a now-impris- years in prison after plead-
oned former USA Gymnas- ing guilty to assaulting sev-
tics team doctor. en girls.
Drawing in part from their Biles, now 20, called Nas-
strength, the four-time gold sar’s behavior “completely
medalist acknowledged unacceptable, disgusting,
Monday she is among the and abusive, especially
athletes who were sexually from someone whom I was
abused by Larry Nassar. told to trust.”
Biles, who won five medals She joins a list of high-profile
overall at the 2016 Olym- gymnasts who have come
pics, released a statement out against Nassar, includ-
via Twitter outlining that ing six-time Olympic med-
abuse. Nassar, who spent alist Aly Raisman, 2012 all-
more than two decades as around champion Gabby
a physician at USA Gym- Douglas and two-time
nastics while also working Olympic medalist McKayla
at Michigan State Univer- Maroney.
sity, has admitted sexually Like her Olympic team-
assaulting gymnasts, pos- mates, Biles detailed abuse
sessing child pornography by Nassar that he disguised In this Aug. 16, 2016 file photo, United States gymnast Simone Biles displays her gold medal for
and molesting girls who as treatment. floor during the artistic gymnastics women’s apparatus final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil.
Danica Patrick finds love away Associated Press

from track with Aaron Rodgers “It is not normal to receive Gymnastics initially agreed USA Gymnastics did not ini-
any type of treatment from to buy the Karolyi Ranch in tially respond to a request
a trusted team physician the summer of August 2016, for comment. The organi-
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — began promoting her new and refer to it horrifyingly following the retirement of zation has taken several
Danica Patrick’s heart is fitness book. as the ‘special’ treatment,” longtime national team steps in recent months.
racing for Aaron Rodgers. She told the AP the two Biles wrote. coordinator Martha Karolyi President and CEO Steve
Patrick, a Chicago Bears first met at the 2012 ESPY Biles is in the beginning but then backed out of the Penny resigned under pres-
fan, confirmed Monday Awards and that despite stages of a return to com- deal, though the national sure last March and was re-
she is dating the Green her allegiance to the petition, a journey that in- team continues to use the placed by Kerry Perry, who
Bay Packers quarterback. Bears, cludes visits to the national facility while options for a took over on Dec. 1.
“Yes, Aaron and I are dat- “I told him a long time ago team’s training center at replacement are explored. The organization hired Toby
ing,” Patrick told The Asso- I’d always root for him as a the Karolyi Ranch north of Biles says she initially won- Stark, a child welfare ad-
ciated Press. player.” Houston, where she said dered if she was to blame. vocate, as its director of
Rodgers split from actress Patrick is shifting her ca- the abuse occurred. “For too long I’ve asked SafeSport last summer. Part
Olivia Munn in 2017 after reer off the race track and “It is impossibly difficult to myself, ‘Was I too naive? of Stark’s mandate is edu-
three years of dating. into the business of her relive these experiences Was it may fault?’” Biles cating members on rules,
Patrick in late November personal brand. and it breaks my heart wrote. educational programs and
ended a five-year relation- She’d like to close her rac- even more to think that as “I now know the answer to reporting.
ship with fellow NASCAR ing career by competing I work towards my dream those questions. No. No. It The federation also adopt-
driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. at next month’s Daytona of competing in Tokyo was not my fault. No, I will ed over 70 recommenda-
Patrick and Rodgers have 500 and the Indianapo- 2020, I will have to con- not and should not carry tions by Deborah Daniels, a
been linked romantically lis 500, a farewell she’s tinually return to the same the guilt that belongs to former federal prosecutor
since the start of the new dubbed “The Danica training facility where I was Larry Nassar, USAG, and who oversaw an extensive
year, right before Patrick Double.”q abused,” Biles wrote.USA others.” independent review.q