Breaking the silence! This should be the new goal for all future gymnasts. For years, ab*se; be it physical, emotional, or even s*xual was part of the hidden world of gymnastics. Gymnasts, even the biggest names like Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles and more, pushed through the pressure of extreme training and unrealistic expectations, all while dealing with body shaming, emotional manipulation, and even worse. The culture was one where staying silent was expected, and speaking out felt like an impossible risk. But that’s changing now!

It all started when Simone Biles spoke out about the Larry Nassar ab*se scandal opening the floodgates for other gymnasts to share their own stories. And this has now led to real consequences. Recently, Anna Li and Jiani Wu, both respected figures in gymnastics, were suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for their role in physically, verbally, and emotionally ab*sing young gymnasts. This shift started when Biles, Jordan Chiles, and Tabea Alt spoke up, and now, we’re seeing parents get involved too.

Parents expose shocking ab*se at Legacy Elite Gymnastics

Anna Li, former U.S. national team member, and her mother, Jiani Wu, former USA Gymnastics coach, have been suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport. SafeSport found credible evidence of physical, verbal, and emotional ab*se toward young gymnasts at their family-run Legacy Elite Gymnastics in Aurora, Illinois. The lengthy investigation drew increasing criticism from the gymnastics community, including parents and members of Congress, who voiced frustration over SafeSport’s slow handling of the case.

Jiani Wu, 58, was suspended for a year after SafeSport determined she physically harmed athletes by pushing one into a balance beam, causing injury, and forcing others to train with injuries like broken feet or fractured bones. She also subjected athletes to body shaming, excessive punishment, and harsh verbal attacks. Meanwhile, Anna Li, 36, was suspended for nine months for similar ab*se, including pushing and grabbing gymnasts, forcing injured athletes to train, and subjecting them to intense conditioning as punishment. The allegations came to light after a 2019 report spurred SafeSport’s investigation.

The situation became more alarming as specific ab**e allegations emerged from parents. Carmen Scanlon, whose 10-year-old daughter trained at Legacy, claimed that Jiani Wu, “Jiani yanked her off the high beam, pulled her to the ground, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her to some mats and then sat on her back.” Scanlon recounted the disturbing event, saying, “I was there. I saw it. I was stupid. I didn’t know what to do. We should have left that day. We left a month later.” Another complaint alleged that a child had tape placed over her mouth for two hours. One more parent added, “Hair was pulled and girls were constantly body-shamed.”

The long-awaited suspension of the Li family has left many parents angry and disillusioned with the system. Corrina Milbrandt, mother of a gymnast coached by the Lis, expressed her frustration: “For them to be suspended for five years, that would be justice.” Many parents are furious over how long SafeSport took to handle the case. But parents like Carmen Scanlon remain skeptical about the system, with Scanlon stating, “USA Gymnastics doesn’t care about the kids unless they’re at the top level.”

Despite Anna, Jiani, and Yuejin Li denying the ab*se allegations, the accounts from former gymnasts and their parents paint a disturbing picture of a toxic environment that went unchecked for far too long. At least 15 people filed complaints, and SafeSport gathered testimony from about 50 witnesses, yet many gymnasts and parents hesitated to report or stopped cooperating due to the agency’s unresponsiveness. As more testimonies surface, the call for accountability and justice intensifies, leaving many to wonder how such a pattern of ab*se remained hidden for so long. Even just a week ago, a similar ab*se came to light when gymnast Alt Tabea bravely spoke out.

A turning point for the sport

In early January 2025, Tabea Alt, a retired German gymnast, spoke up about the ab**e she suffered during her career. She shared on Instagram how coaches ignored medical advice and made her compete with fractures, all while the system was full of things like eating disorders, painkillers, threats, and humiliation. She said it was all part of a “systematic” pattern of ab**e that she had tried to report years ago, but nothing ever changed. It took so much courage for her to come forward after all this time. And after that, six more gymnasts come forward to share their story.

Even before all this, 17-year-old gymnast Meolie Jauch decided to retire. Reason: because she couldn’t compete physically. However, the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) pledged to investigate what happened, including possible misconduct by coaches. The voices of these gymnasts, Tabea and Meolie, are sparking a bigger conversation. It’s becoming clear that change is needed, not just in how the sport is run, but in how gymnasts’ mental and physical health is treated. It’s a real shift, and for the first time in a long while, there’s hope that things could get better for the next generation of athletes.