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And this lie again: the responses to the investigation on gymnastics reveal a twisted world - voila! sport

2023-02-25T06:39:04.266Z


Corrupt judges, girls who want to run away, and no one is surprised anymore, the union is plastering, everyone knows: this is how it is in an industry with a tradition of violence and abuse


Ha ha ha, Xena's character is so funny, but what is it like in real life?

Vigdorchik (photo: Yossi Tsipkis)

The norm is already so distorted, that for the sports fan it is already a cliché to hear about the suffering in gymnastics.

It is already such a well-known and well-worn thing that it has already become a joke.

After all, Shalom Michaelshvili makes coach Zina so funny, who complains to her trainees about an unnecessary crumb of bread ("Did you eat popcorn? Ya popotam", ha ha ha), and when you joke about something in prime time, it's no longer a dark secret and a dangerous thing, but a routine .

the standard.

The abuse receives public legitimacy.

It is no longer something to hide or be ashamed of, but a fait accompli.



And so the episode of "The Source" that aired this week on Network 13 referred only at the beginning to the overall attitude to artistic gymnastics, since it is already known to everyone, there is nothing new here.

Only a few minutes were devoted to their confessions about the morbid training (13 hours a day), and the small videos that reveal from the inside, from the training mat, from the small apartment where they were crammed, the humiliations by the trainer ("Fucking!"), the desire to retire and run away, the eating disorders, the incessant hunger (sneaking food through the window), the shots and pills from the medical team (a gymnast competes with a broken leg), the total madness that has characterized this sport since the day we got to know it.

But the CEO of the Gymnastics Association Sarit Shanar hears the claims and says out loud: "As far as I'm concerned, there were no things done here that crossed lines.

Ira Vigdorchik brought Israel to achievements." This is the norm, these are the expectations, only the achievements are important.

Most athletes retire in sadness.

Most gymnasts retire and feel relieved that it's over.

Ofir Dayan (Photo: Udi Tsitiat)

As mentioned, we are sports enthusiasts, and we know very well the investment required to be successful.

Young footballers are also required to maintain nutrition, all athletes sacrifice their social lives, all face a stressful environment.

But even by these standards, the world of gymnastics has always been extreme and unusual.

From the stories about the strict regime in Eastern Europe to the stories of sexual abuse in the US team, it has been known for decades that this is an industry whose very existence allows violence. There is no other industry that produces such a gap between the delicate, elegant and aesthetic end result (whether it is apparatus or artistic gymnastics) and The dirt road there.



And when this is the reality, no wonder there is dirt around the judgment as well.

It's an industry that is used to hiding things, plastering a distorted world.

Smile in front of the camera, suffer behind the scenes.

hide the truth

These are some of the principles on which the world of gymnastics is based, the inner secrets.

This is also what allowed Larry Nassar to sexually abuse girls for decades.

A tradition of plastering.

Only those who inside know the secrets well, deeply, experience this cruelty and pretense first hand.



Young girls, with heavy make-up and a glittering outfit, come up for a three-minute exercise, have to smile, walk with their heads held high, and only those in the know know what a dark journey they went through on the way there.

And then they sit next to the coach, who in many cases molested them, not to mention abused them, and they hug her, all with a big fake smile.

Then the Olympics are over, and they just want to retire.

Most athletes retire in tears, in pain, refusing to admit that it's over - but many gymnasts retire and feel relieved, happy that it's over, that they can start living, want to run away, escape.

Most admit: I would not want my daughter to engage in this.



This lie, the pretense, enables the culture of bribery, as depicted in the investigation on the "Hamakor" show this week.

The gymnastics association goes to war against the mother of gymnast Ofir Dayan, Ayelet Dayan-Levit, and tries to damage her credibility - but this does not change the strong impression left on the viewer.

From the testimonies and the recordings a clear picture emerges: the lie is known to everyone.

More in Walla!

Survival: on the phenomenon of sexual abuse in the world of professional sports

To the full article

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There is no attempt here to belittle the achievements of artistic gymnastics in Israel.

It's a shame that it tarnishes the successes of an entire industry, which did develop in Israel.

We saw with our own eyes how wonderful and high-quality Linoi Ashram is, we all appreciate and admire Nicole Zelikman and Netta Rivkin.

But the evidence illustrated an unsportsmanlike reality: the judging is distorted, the results are distorted, the judges receive gifts in the expectation that it will affect the grades, everyone admits it.



The problem exists in every branch that is decided by a judge that includes elements that cannot be accurately measured, but the bottom line is - everyone knows that the head judge Shishkovsky "loved money and only money", that the Argentinian judge should bring a shirt (find out first what his size is), that the Russian judges should bring Jewelry and perfumes, but those from Western Europe should not bring envelopes with cash because "they don't like it".

You have to do the mingling, invest a little more in the perfume, and they will appreciate you in return.



After all, for those inside, this is not a sensational disclosure.

That's how it's been since forever.

In fact, what apparently turned on the criminal mother was not the actual matter of the gifts, but that the parents were suddenly required to participate in the financing of the gifts.

Not the culture of lies, but that it was suddenly decided to invest in the individual gymnasts, and not in the team girls.



The executive director of the union is also talking on the phone and you can hear her wording carefully, like someone who doesn't want to slip her tongue. She speaks in codes, afraid that she is being recorded. Coaches and judges were polygraphed by the union and asked about the issue. From everything it becomes clear that the issue has already been discussed, it is on the agenda, It's no secret. That



's why the official response of the Gymnastics Association to the investigation was so disappointing, when among other things it read "One disgruntled lady slanders the Gymnastics Association which is conducted in an exemplary manner and brings respect and prestige". .

More in Walla!

Gang rape: Who are the people who enabled Larry Nassar's abuse?

To the full article

The union's response is disappointing, and reflects a problematic perception of reality.

A whole stained branch (Photo: Kobi Eliyahu)

But we are dealing with sports, so there is more than honor and prestige at stake, but also excellence and fair competition, an example to the world, values.

Therefore, it would have been better if the gymnastics association had given a response in a different style, such as "Unfortunately, these have been the norms in the world of gymnastics for many years, it is certainly disappointing and saddening, and for years we have indeed tried to assimilate into the top of the industry and therefore cooperated with this improper and unsportsmanlike practice. Now we all hope that the exposure This will bring about a change, we have already decided on a change in policy and the cessation of gifts to judges, something that is not customary in any self-respecting industry, even if our decision will harm our achievements in the short term, but we still believe that this is the right thing."



But what for now?

What should the parents of the young girls who go to gymnastics class, and enjoy the success, the exercises, the training, feel so much?

They have a professional framework, they dance, absorb values ​​of strictness, teamwork, competitions.

They discovered a world in which they excel, learn to control their bodies, behave calmly, show courage in competitions, experience success, applause, applause from the audience.

Someday they get pumped, addicted, dream of the Olympics.

What to do?

It seems that there is no choice, but to let them succeed, enjoy, develop.

But once it gets serious and approaches professionalism, knowing exactly what it involves.

  • sport

Tags

  • Rhythmic Gymnastics

Source: walla

All sports articles on 2023-02-25

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