Former elite gymnast Eloise Jotischky becomes the first to win a civil case against British Gymnastics over the abuse she suffered during her time in the sport after she claimed her coach’s techniques made her “tremble”.
- Eloise Jotischky claimed her trainer exposed her to inappropriate techniques
- British Gymnastics has come to an agreement and also admitted full liability
- She claimed she was “physically exhausted” from weight management
- The governing body said: “There is no place for abuse of any kind in gymnastics”
Former elite gymnast Eloise Jotischky has reportedly become the first to win a civil case against British Gymnastics.
Jotischky says Andrew Griffiths forced her to undergo inappropriate weight management techniques and verbal harassment, while her trainer at Heathrow Gymnastics Club and British Gymnastics have now admitted full responsibility.
The ` has claimed that the governing body has reached an agreement with Jotischky, who has also received an apology from the organisation’s chief executive.
Jotischky, 19, worked at Heathrow between the ages of 10 and 14, training 25 hours a week. She has competed on both the national and international stages, but has retired from the sport, blaming her experiences of abuse.
She has claimed that she was “physically exhausted” due to Griffiths’ weight management techniques, which allegedly put her on a diet of just 800 calories on a non-workout day and about 1,200 calories on a workout day.
This is despite the NHS advising teenagers to eat between 2,200 and 2,500 calories a day. Griffiths, however, claims Jotischky would “shame her,” physically goading her body and telling her she “looked terrible.”
Eloise Jotischky is the first to win a civil case against British Gymnastics
The governing body (above: CEO Jane Allen) admitted full liability and reached a settlement
“The weigh-in sessions could happen more than once a week,” Jotischky ` Sport.
“It was every Saturday, but sometimes we were weighed during the week if they didn’t like the way we looked.
“We had to queue there and get on the scales with everyone else and sometimes they would announce our weight or tell us to step aside if they weren’t happy with our weight so they could chat with us afterwards. ‘
Griffiths would also reportedly “yell and yell” at Turner when he was unhappy with their weight, while Jotischky was “incredibly anxious” and sick with stress.
“We were sitting on the sofa and just physically shaking,” she added. Having a grown man scream at you was terrifying.
“I think the fear of it then contributed to my having hot baths on a Friday night because I was so scared of what was to come, the consequences of not losing weight.”
Andrew Griffith’s (above) inappropriate weight management techniques left Jotischky shaken
Although Jotischky received a letter in March confirming that British Gymnastics had admitted liability, Griffiths acted as British trainer at the World Acrobatics Championships. British Gymnastics have said he is now banned from training.
Heathrow has also told the ` he is no longer working for them.
In a statement, British Gymnastics said “there is no place for abuse of any kind in gymnastics,” adding that it had recently doubled the size of its protection team.
Heathrow Gymnastics Club said: “Andrew Griffiths no longer works for Heathrow Gymnastics Club.
“The club has 60 coaches and 1,100 children who enjoy participating in many gymnastics disciplines.”
` Sport have contacted him on a number of occasions but have received no response.
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