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SPORTS Saturday 11 November 2017

Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman: I was abused by doctor

By WILL GRAVES the organization while ad- “These girls, they should be “And I think, it just disgusts previous policy.
AP Sports Writer vocating for athlete’s rights. comfortable going to USA me he was a doctor. It’s Key updates include man-
Olympic gymnast Aly Ra- USA Gymnastics launched Gymnastics and saying ‘I crazy. Because when a datory reporting, defining
isman says she is among an independent review need help, I want therapy. doctor says something you six types of misconduct,
the young women sexually of its policies in the wake I need this,’” Raisman said want to believe him and it’s setting standards to pro-
abused by a former USA hibit grooming behavior,
Gymnastics team doctor. preventing inappropriate
Raisman tells “60 Minutes” interaction and establish-
she was 15 when she was ing accountability.
first treated by Dr. Larry In July, the organization
Nassar, who spent more hired Toby Stark, a child
than two decades work- welfare advocate, as its
ing with athletes at USA director of SafeSport. Part
Gymnastics. He’s now is in of Stark’s mandate is edu-
jail in Michigan awaiting cating members on rules,
sentencing after pleading educational programs and
guilty to possession of child reporting.
pornography. The federation also ad-
Raisman, the captain of opted several recom-
the 2012 and 2016 Olympic mendations by Deborah
gold-medal winning teams, Daniels, a former federal
details the abuse in her prosecutor who oversaw
book “Fierce,” which will the review. USA Gymnas-
be released on Tuesday. tics now has the power to
Raisman’s interview with withhold membership from
“60 Minutes” will air Sunday clubs that decline to report
night. claims of abuse.
Raisman is the latest gym- Clubs are now “required to
nast to claim she was sex- report child abuse or ne-
ually abused by Nassar. glect, including sexual mis-
McKayla Maroney, who conduct, to proper authori-
won two medals at the ties, including the U.S. Cen-
2012 Games as Raisman’s ter for SafeSport and law
teammate, said last month enforcement authorities.”
she was molested for years The organization has taken
by Nassar. some steps to provide more
Nassar also is awaiting trial oversight and safety to its
on separate criminal sexual national team gymnasts.
conduct charges and has Team members who fly into
been sued by more than In this Aug. 16, 2016, file photo, United States’ Aly Raisman shows off her silver medal after the Houston for training camps
artistic gymnastics women’s apparatus final at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
125 women alleging sexual Associated Press must be escorted to the
abuse. camp with at least two
Nassar has pleaded not of the allegations against in an interview with The As- just awful.” other people to avoid any
guilty to the assault charg- Nassar and reporting by sociated Press and USA To- Jamie Dantzscher, a bronze one-on-one interaction.
es, and the dozens of civil the Indianapolis Star in Au- day in August during the medalist on the 2000 U.S. Underage female gym-
suits filed in Michigan are gust 2016 that highlighted 2017 national champion- Olympic team, filed a law- nasts with male coaches
currently in mediation. chronic mishandling of ships. suit against Nassar in Cali- who are picked to com-
USA Gymnastics said in a sexual abuse allegations Raisman declined to get fornia in September 2016. pete internationally must
statement Friday that Rais- against coaches and staff into specifics at that time She says Nassar touched now travel with a creden-
man sharing her personal at some of its more than about whether she was her inappropriately while tialed female chaperone.
experience took “great 3,500 clubs across the abused by Nassar but disguising the abuse as One-on-one visits by medi-
courage” and it is “ap- country. painted a vivid picture treatment. cal staff are prohibited at
palled by the conduct of Nassar began working with of how Nassar’s behavior Dantzscher initially filed as cabins the athletes use dur-
which Larry Nassar is ac- USA Gymnastics as an ath- went unchecked. “Jane Doe” but came for- ing overnight stays at the
cused.” letic trainer in 1986 and be- “I think that, you just want, ward publicly to “60 Min- national training center.
The 23-year-old Raisman came the national team you want to trust people utes” in February. USA Gymnastics an-
has been highly critical of doctor in 1996. He stepped and that he was just a dis- In June, the gymnastics nounced Tuesday it hired
USA Gymnastics in recent down in 2014 but remained gusting person, he took ad- board adopted the new Kerry Perry as the organiza-
months, calling for leader- on staff before being fired vantage of so many peo- USA Gymnastics SafeSport tion’s new president and
ship change at the top of in 2015. ple’s trust,” Raisman said. Policy that replaced the CEO. Perry starts Dec. 1.q