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Simon Bilès revealed on Wednesday that the sexual abuse she suffered by disgraced former U.S. gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar had a direct impact on her mental health in Tokyo Olympics 2020 this summer when she unexpectedly withdrew from several events.
Biles and several other members of Team USA Gymnastics spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee about the failure of the FBI investigation into Nassar. Biles’ hard-hitting statement touched on a range of issues related to the investigation before detailing the lasting impacts the abuse had on her and so many other athletes years after the allegations were first made in 2015.
US OLYMPIC GYMNASTS LOCK INQUIRY IN NASSAR, LIE FBI “CLOSED EYES” REPORT FALSIFIED
“I will end with one last thought. The scars of this horrific abuse continue to live with us all,” she said. “As the only competitor at the recent Tokyo Games who survived this horror, I can assure you that the impacts of this man’s abuse are never over or forgotten.”
Nassar was charged in 2016 with federal child pornography offenses and sexual abuse charges in Michigan. He is now serving decades in prison after hundreds of girls and women say he sexually assaulted them under the guise of medical treatment while working for USA Gymnastics, based in the state of Michigan and the United States. Indiana, which trains Olympians. (Graeme Jennings / Pool via AP)
“The announcement in spring 2020 that the Tokyo Games were to be postponed for a year meant that I would go to the gym, to training, to therapy, living on a daily basis, amid reminders of this story for another 365 days. . As I have said in the past, one thing that helped me push each day was the goal of not letting this crisis be ignored. I worked incredibly hard to make sure that my presence could maintain a link between chess and competition at Tokyo 2020. “
She continued, “It has proven to be an exceptionally difficult burden for me to carry, especially when I have to travel to Tokyo without the support of any family member. I am a strong person and will persevere, but I should never have been left alone to suffer Larry Nassar’s abuse. And the only reason I did that was because of the failures that are at the heart of the abuses you are now asked to investigate. . “
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Biles competed in the team all-around event in Tokyo before retiring from the jump, individual all-around and two other apparatus events, citing his mental health issues. She will eventually return to close the Games with a bronze medal in the women’s beam final.
The four-time gold medalist was not mistaken in blaming Nassar, but also held accountable USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee who she said were aware of the abuse.
“I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that allowed and perpetrated his abuses,” she said. “If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be quick and severe. Enough is enough.
Left-wing United States gymnasts Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols arrive for a Senate court hearing on the Inspector General’s report on the FBI’s handling of the Larry Nassar investigation on Capitol Hill Hill on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, in Washington. (Graeme Jennings / Pool via AP)
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The hearing is part of a congressional effort to hold the FBI accountable after several missteps in investigating the case, including delays that allowed Nassar, now in jail, to abuse other young gymnasts .
At least 40 girls and women said they were assaulted after the FBI learned of the problem.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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