Long Under Scrutiny, a Gymnastics Coach Is Placed Under Restrictions

Monica Avery, who is an owner and coach at OSEGA Dream Academy outside of Asheville, N.C., and in 2016 reported to U.S.A. Gymnastics that she had seen Han kick an athlete at a meet in Texas, said the action was overdue. U.S.A. Gymnastics, the national federation for the sport, handed the case to SafeSport the next year, in 2017, a federation spokeswoman said several years ago.

“The emotional damage all these girls go through is so heartbreaking, and it could have been prevented if Han would have been stopped years ago,” Avery said.

Han did not respond to voice messages requesting comment.

Responding to The New York Times regarding accusations of abuse in 2018, Everest Gymnastics said, “We do not tolerate abuse of any kind in our facility.”

“If any credible abuse allegations exist,” the statement said, “Everest Gymnastics encourages those parties to contact U.S.A. Gymnastics.”

Jill Geer, spokeswoman for U.S.A. Gymnastics, said the federation could not discuss any ongoing case but said, “Having cases handled appropriately and in a timely way is in the best interest of everyone involved, from the affected parties to the sport itself.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/23/sports/olympics/gymnastics-abuse-qi-han.html