Italy dismisses an Olympic female gymnastics coach on charges of mistreatment

Athletes and activists responded differently to the firing of Italy’s Olympic female rhythmic gymnastics coach on Thursday. The instructor is being investigated for allegedly abusing young gymnasts based on their weight and eating habits.

Prosecutors in the northern city of Monza asked that Emanuela Maccarani stand trial for allegedly mistreating the gymnasts, and on Wednesday, the Italian Gymnastics Federation dismissed her from her position of 29 years.

In its statement, the federation made no mention of the abuse claims.

After Anna Basta and Nina Corradini, two former gymnasts, accused Maccarani of psychological abuse in 2022 while she was coaching them, the authorities launched an inquiry into the 58-year-old.

Maccarani allegedly made the gymnasts, who were both under the age of eighteen at the time, weigh themselves before their teammates, and the coaching staff made fun of them if they looked overweight, according to allegations that were extensively covered by the Italian media.

All misconduct has been denied by Maccarani.

She told Reuters that she was more worried about the rhythmic gymnastics team than her own future and that it was “devastating” to think about how her firing might affect them.

She claimed that she had not been formally informed of the reason behind her termination and that she would take the time “to think and to metabolise” the recent events while focusing on her legal case.

The president of ChangeTheGame, an Italian organization that supports athletes who have been sexually, physically, or emotionally abused, Daniela Simonetti, called Maccarani’s exit “a turning point that opens a new page in the interests of young gymnasts.”

In their lawsuit against Maccarani, Basta and Corradini received support from ChangeTheGame.

Basta told Reuters Training practices “that are antiquated and detrimental to the athletes of the future” ought to end with Maccarani’s termination.

On the other hand, some athletes and their parents have taken the side of the former coach.

The rhythmic gymnastics team’s star, Martina Centofanti, stated, “After three years, we find ourselves in an even more destabilizing and detrimental situation for us female athletes and for the sports programming of the team.”