In autumn 2020, an audit made big headlines in Switzerland.

Eight former elite gymnasts openly testified about how they had been "tyrannized, humiliated, harassed and broken down" by their coaches. 

The reactions were so strong that the country's sports minister decided to set up an independent reporting function within the already existing Swiss Sport Integrity.  

Previously, the organization had only reviewed doping cases.

Now lawyers and social workers, disconnected from the sports movement, were hired to investigate reports of misconduct. 

- Before, most confederations had a person, a telephone number where an athlete could call.

But that person was employed by the union.

This made athletes reluctant to report something they had been exposed to.

So the key for us has been independence, says Ernst König, head of Swiss Sport Integrity.

Criticism of the Swedish solution: "Lives its own life"

In Sweden, there is a sports ombudsman and whistleblower service since 2018.

They have been introduced and run by the Swedish Sports Confederation, RF, to create safe sports environments. 

The functions are thus not disconnected from the sports movement as in Switzerland.

Something that is questioned by Johan Peterson Aldergren, chairman of the non-profit organization Safesport Sweden, which supports vulnerable athletes. 

- The sports ombudsman is employed by RF, which is an interest organization for its specialist sports associations.

This means that the sports ombudsman sits on double chairs, he says. 

How do you think it should work instead? 

- The only reasonable thing is that the function is outside the organization it may be forced to criticize.

We do that in all other contexts in society, but right here it is as if sport has a life of its own.   

RF chairman Björn Eriksson disagrees.

He believes that the sports movement is strong enough to judge for itself which leaders are suitable or not, without outside interference. 

- There are an awful lot of proposals that things should be put outside the sports movement.

I don't really believe that, he says. 

See the entire Mission review "Never more elite" on SVT Play or SVT1 20.00 tonight.