The original photographs were taken a few years ago and show how gymnasts in rhythmic gymnastics are stretched in a way that is contrary to the gymnastics association's stretching policy.

With regard to the gymnasts in the pictures, SVT Sport has had a graphic artist draw the pictures.

It is about active people as young as twelve years old, who stand in a split between two chairs at the same time as a leader or training partner puts all or part of their body weight on their legs.

SVT Sport has shown the photographs to Anna-Karin Wikström, a licensed physiotherapist on Bosön and part of the gymnastics association's medical team.  

- When I look at these pictures and see that the girls are in their outer positions and that they also have someone sitting or standing on them with almost the entire body weight.

I think it's awful, says Anna-Karin Wikström.  

- It's more okay when they sit in their own positions and stretch with their own strength.

But not when there is another person who is involved and presses. 

"Never the right to resort to violence"

Outer position means that the body reaches its extreme position for how much the body can be stretched.

SVT Sport shows the photographs for the Swedish Gymnastics Association's general secretary Pelle Malmborg. 

- That a gymnast sits in a split between two chairs can be bad, but it does not have to be bad.

This is about training that has been going on for many years to build strength and flexibility.

But getting to the extreme with the help of force is never right.

Of course not, he says.  

The former national team gymnast Clara Göthberg, who was noticed in our review of the leadership culture in rhythmic gymnastics on Wednesday, also has experience of forced stretching.  

- It was thought that I had too stiff knees.

So then I had to sit on a chair, with the heels of a chair in front.

Then someone was sitting on my legs.

When I was 12-13 years old, I really started to get back pain as well.

After I had stopped, I went to a doctor who stated that I had osteoarthritis, says Clara Göthberg. 

Risk of breaking in the body

According to physiotherapist Anna-Karin Wikström, there are individuals who are more mobile than others, which may also be partly due to genetics.

But there are also boundaries that should not be crossed.  

- The gymnasts who have continuously stretched since they were very young have a greater mobility.

They go further without hurting.

So it is very individual and some are born more mobile than others.

But just to push in such an extreme position, then there is a risk that there will be injuries or that you actually break.  

Does it hurt to go too far?  

- Absolutely.

Crossing the border hurts.

That's how it is, says Anna-Karin Wikström.

This is part of a larger review.