Gymnastics. Such a graceful sport to watch, right? Despite the shiny performances, there is a harsh reality unfolding, and this is more so for some German gymnasts. The athletes are speaking up about some tough realities that have been swept under the rug for too long. It is bitter to swallow, but these strong women refuse to keep quiet anymore. Each one individually, they’re coming forward and fighting against the system. Amelie Pfeil, Tabea Alt, Meolie Jauch, Catalina Santos-Moran Diaz, and Michelle Timm started with their painful stories, showing the other side of gymnastics. And now it appears that yet another German gymnastics star is joining that list of brave voices. It’s becoming clear: they are not going to allow the system to destroy them anymore and they’re not afraid to make sure their truths are heard.

On January 18, German gymnastics star Lisa Schöniger shared an emotional post on Instagram, reflecting on her tumultuous journey in the sport. She wrote, “The public abuse allegations in October 2020 and the recent statements from numerous gymnasts, training colleagues, and friends have stirred many emotions in me.” For years, she lacked the courage to speak out but now, she’s ready to bring attention to the flaws in German gymnastics. “My goal is not to denounce individual people, but to bring about changes in German gymnastics and its system,” she added, emphasizing the urgent need for change.

Lisa’s years at the national training center in Chemnitz were marked by extreme pressure, humiliation, manipulation, and neglect. “I starved myself for medical examinations and competitions just to meet others’ expectations,” she shared, revealing the emotional toll it took. Gymnasts were pitted against each other, and trust was forbidden. “We gymnasts were deliberately pitted against each other and spoken badly about in front of others,” she said, describing how friendship and solidarity were often interrupted. “When I complained about injuries, I was called a hypochondriac and ignored.” Despite suffering from injuries like stress edema and bone marrow edema, she was expected to compete the next day. “I trained through tears and intense pain with stress edema… and was expected to compete the day after this diagnosis.”

After years of enduring this toxic environment, Lisa decided to prioritize her health and walk away. “Achieving top performances, medals, and success should never be more important than the health and dignity of the athletes,” she said. She revealed that the decision-making process behind competitions was unfair, stating, “Qualification decisions for competitions by the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) were not based on the gymnasts’ actual abilities, but on statistics and probabilities.” Lisa is now ready to stand up for herself and for change, thankful for those who have found the courage to speak out before her. “These experiences are not isolated cases,” she said, hoping to inspire others to find their voice.

Gymnastics stars are giving some shade of truth, and the voices are getting louder. In 2019, Tabea Alt, an Olympic gymnast of 2016 and a World Gymnastics Championship bronze medalist of 2017, went on her Instagram to recount multiple years of abuse and neglect she suffered in the system. Her post inspired others, such Meolie Jauch, Emelie Petz, Amelie Pfeil, Catalina Santos-Moran Díaz, Michelle Timm and Pauline Schäfer-Betz. The pressure, eating disorders, painkillers, and humiliation were all too real. Even though Alt tried to warn the German Gymnastics Federation back in 2021, her concerns were ignored. However, she is determined to shed light on the truth.

Michelle Timm and Meolie Jauch have also given their accounts of the vigorous psychological and physical pressure they went through. Jauch, after her 2023 World Cup silver, said that her former training grounds are now uncomfortable for her. Petz, who was a national champion, had eating disorders before she retired in 2023 due to injury. Even Kim Bui, a German Olympian who competed in three Olympics, expressed respect for those speaking out, sharing how tough it was to break the silence. Elizabeth Seitz, a respected figure, added her voice too, insisting that these experiences are far from normal. The silence is breaking, and the need for change for the gymnastics system in Germany is now inevitable. And guess what? Looks like they all are getting a few answers!

Gymnastics stars get an answer!

Athletes have been breaking their silence on social media, sharing gut-wrenching stories of physical and mental abuse by coaches. These courageous disclosures have been directed both at the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) and the Swabian Gymnastics Federation (STB) with such athletes as Tabea Alt, Kim Bui, and Michelle Timm among the initiators. The pressure is on now, and the spotlight isn’t so friendly. In response, the federations are putting on their damage control hats, trying to reassure the public and show they’re taking action. The DTB and STB came forward with a statement, saying that they take these allegations seriously and are investigating them thoroughly.

In their joint press statement on December 28, 2024, the federations said, “The German Gymnastics Association (DTB) and the Swabian Gymnastics Association (STB) take the public debate and the allegations about the mental health of competitive gymnasts very seriously.” They said that there are specific details on the part of the coaches at the Stuttgart training camp. Additionally, they have claimed that they are not only going to scrutinize the trainers, but they are also going to look into the“flaws in the high-performance sports system” and how warning signs were managed.

The federations said they would look into the allegations and added, “All complaints and tips were taken seriously and followed up on, and this will continue to happen in the future.” They reassured everyone that the complaints are being taken seriously, even as training resumed on January 2, 2025. Still, these moves signal that something bigger is at play, and the gymnasts’ voices are ringing loud and clear.