December marks the holiday season when everyone is in the mood to celebrate. However, a series of posts by German gymnastics stars shook the gymnastics community, as not one but six talented German gymnasts have come forward with harrowing stories. From 20-year-old Amelie Pfeil to world championship medal-winning Tabea Alt, no one held back.

Throughout the rest of December and until now, Meolie Jauch, Catalina Santos-Moran Díaz, Michelle Timm, and now Pauline Schäfer-Betz have come forward. On the 7th of January, the Paris Olympian released a massive statement expressing her concern with the continuing pattern of mistreatment and mental trauma ingrained in the system.

Their harrowing experience and the lack of accountability

In her detailed statement, the German gymnastics star spoke about the system that has scarred the collective experience of so many gymnasts. “The current allegations from former national gymnasts about the conditions at the federal base in Stuttgart shock me deeply,” Schäfer-Betz wrote in her statement. “I know what it’s like to be trapped in a system like that,” she added.

That’s because this is not the first time Pauline Schäfer-Betz has gathered the courage to speak against the system. The three-time Olympian addressed that she and her sister raised similar concerns about the “problematic conditions at the federal base in Chemnitz” in 2018. However, since their effort was internal, nothing changed, and the ignorance toward the issue continued.

So they tried once again in 2020. Yet, despite going public about the “psychological violence” and the treatment of athletes alongside 14 other gymnasts, not much seemed to change. Meanwhile, the system treated Pauline Schäfer-Betz and the gymnasts who came forward four years ago as pariahs. “I had to endure massive hostility and harassment,” said the former world champion.

“As an Olympic squad athlete, I was no longer able to receive physiotherapeutic treatments because they wanted to treat the topic neutrally. There were active attempts to dispute my training times and turn people against me,” added the gymnast. Today, seeing much younger gymnastics prodigies like Amelie Pfeil and Catalina Santos-Moran Díaz, quite the sport has once again affected Schäfer-Betz.

It has also convinced her that the entire system is at fault. 24-year-old Tabea Alt had a similarly harrowing experience despite not sharing coaches or training facilities with the former gymnastics world champion. Alt also spoke about overtraining, ignoring injuries, and verbal taunts during training, eating away at her physical and mental health.

Alt also followed in Schäfer-Betz, raising her concern internally, only for them to fall on deaf ears. “I had to realize with regret that it was unsuccessful and it led to nothing. It was ignored or just not taken seriously,” added the world championship bronze medalist. On December 28, the same day that Alt posted on Instagram, the German Gymnastics Federation (DTB) finally addressed the issues in a public statement.

“….the DTB and STB have concrete information about possible misconduct on the part of responsible trainers at the federal base in Stuttgart,” read the statement. They also promised an investigation on “potential misconduct by coaches, as well as flaws in the high-performance sports system at national training centres and the handling of warning signs within the STB and DTB structures.” However, gymnasts such as Pauline Schäfer-Betz have found such measures to be too little too late.

The gymnastics stars require more than the bare minimum

In her nearly 1000-word statement, the 28-year-old addressed the federation’s intent to investigate the culture at the federal base in Stuttgart. However, the gymnast who shared the stage with Simone Biles raised several questions about the measures. The gymnast questioned why these measures come so late and have so little effect.

“How can coaches against whom serious allegations have been made remain active in the system?” asked Schäfer-Betz. “Are initiated investigations and measures implemented consistently and sustainably?” she asked again. However, you won’t have to look far to find the answer to both of these questions. Schäfer-Betz explained how the answer to her questions so far has been a resounding no.

That’s because this isn’t the first time the DTB has taken action after such allegations have been leveled at the system or the individuals within it. In 2021, the DTB dismissed Gabriele Frehse after wide-ranging allegations about the coach’s conduct toward gymnasts. The DTB even admitted that their initial response to the crisis was insufficient.

“It is certain that the measures taken by the DTB in 2018 and 2019 were not sufficient to fully clarify the facts reported at the time and to have a preventive effect,” said the gymnastics federation as per a report by DW in 2021. However, that doesn’t mean Frehse is no longer coaching. The 28-year-old gymnast explained how Frehse is now working with the Australian team.

Frehse is apparently preparing a team for the upcoming European Gymnastics Championships, wrote the German gymnastics star. So while Gabriele Frehse did face the consequences of her actions, it only limited her scope rather than have lasting effects. So Pauline Schäfer-Betz demanded “profound reforms” in her lengthy social media post.

The gymnast spoke for everyone who has suffered under the system so far. “The goal must be a system that respects and protects athletes as people, not just as a means to an end,” wrote the 28-year-old. Instead of a system that simply treats gymnasts as the path to earning world championships and Olympic medals, the gymnastics veteran hopes for sweeping changes.

Ever since Simone Biles faltered at the Tokyo Olympics, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist has preached fair treatment of athletes. The German icon hopes that the current system will follow the same template of putting athletes ahead of medals. “There must be no more room for grievances and clear, sustainable changes are needed,” added the gymnast.

After all, the only thing those who have come forward wanted was for the system to treat them right. Instead, it looks like the gymnastics system and culture pushed them to go beyond their capabilities, probably ignoring the warning signs, thus resulting in burnout and mental health issues. However, Pauline Schäfer-Betz is also hopeful that true change may come sooner rather than later, thanks to public support.

“I’m glad to see more and more people taking a more open attitude towards these difficult issues,” said the gymnastics icon. In fact, the effect of public uproar was apparent in DTB’s December 28 statement as well. “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…” read the beginning of the official statement.