London (AFP)

Britain's Becky and Ellie Downie, medalists at the World Gymnastics Championships last year, denounced on Friday the "climate of fear and mental abuse" within their discipline, after the opening by their federation of an independent inquiry into several allegations of ill-treatment.

In a joint statement posted on their respective social networks, the two sisters stated that they had been victims of a litany of intimidation and abuse, particularly concerning their weight, which, according to Ellie, "left deep scars that will not be never healed ".

"We certainly didn't realize how bad it was back then," said Beckie, 28, and Ellie, 20. "It took years and years to understand and accept it."

The two young women decided to speak publicly after listening to the "courageous" testimonies of a growing number of other gymnasts.

"We both recognize the environment of fear and mental abuse that those who preceded us described with so much courage," said Beckie, silver medalist with uneven bars in Stuttgart, and Ellie, bronze medalist on horseback. pommel.

"For too long, the health and well-being of young girls has been of secondary importance in relation to an outdated, cruel and often-ineffective culture in female gymnastics training," stress- they.

"We are speaking now, just a year before the Olympic Games, because we have a duty to ensure the well-being of young girls who start gymnastics, and their safety is more important than any Olympic medal", conclude the two sisters.

British Gymnastics said it would not immediately comment on the sisters' comments but added that it was "determined to get to the bottom of these issues".

The British Federation announced on Tuesday that it had launched an independent investigation to shed light on several "shocking and upsetting" testimonies from British gymnasts, reporting physical and psychological ill-treatment by their coaches.

Since the revelations linked to the Nassar affair in the United States, the world of gymnastics has been the subject of numerous reports of abuse of all kinds.

In addition to the former national team doctor, who was sentenced to a heavy prison term for sexually abusing more than 200 gymnasts in the United States, several coaches and officials from the American federation were laid off following accusations of ill-treatment or for turning a blind eye to the ill-treatment suffered by certain gymnasts.

© 2020 AFP