“For me I’m very confident the team were considered on their gymnastic merits and nothing else,” he said. He also denied that Downie had been punished for speaking out. “The panel viewed that based on current form they hadn’t seen the level of performance required to win a medal.” “Many will have seen some very good performances from Becky in 2019,” he said. However, the British Gymnastics performance director, James Thomas, insisted the decision was based purely on merit. With Becky having criticised the culture in British gymnastics, it’s hard not to assume that their motivation in effectively ending her career is a sinister warning to those who might speak out in future.” “It is incomprehensible why the bars specialist has been dropped in a year she achieved a 6.8 SV in training in what has been touted as one of the most difficult routines in the world. “The decision to exclude her from the Tokyo team is a total shock. “Becky Downie is on world-beating form and easily one of the most talented women’s artistic gymnasts of her generation,” its statement said. The decision was immediately condemned by Gymnasts for Change, a group of former gymnasts – including the Olympians Jennifer Pinches and Hannah Whelan – who are making a group-claim lawsuit against British Gymnastics, alleging physical and psychological abuse.
However, a selection panel overlooked her for a place on the four-member team and she has not been named among the three reserves.
Last month Downie was granted an additional trial following the sudden death of her brother Josh. Last July she and her sister Ellie claimed that “cruel” behaviour in British Gymnastics was “so ingrained in our daily lives that it became completely normalised”. I’m not sure what will happen in terms of my future, but all I know is that I still love the sport, and I feel like I’m in the form of my life.”ĭownie has won 14 major medals for Team GB and England during a glittering career but the 29-year-old athlete’s relations with the governing body have become increasingly strained. This past year has been incredibly difficult, but this last month has been unimaginable. I don’t have the words to describe how it feels now not being able to even try. The surprise decision came less than a year after Downie spoke out about an “environment of fear” in the organisation.ĭownie tweeted: “Winning an Olympic gold medal has always been my dream. GB Gymnastics has been accused of sending a sinister warning to whistleblowers by dropping the 2019 world silver medallist, Becky Downie, from its Olympic team for Tokyo.