#ashton locklear

Ms. Locklear, 20, an alternate on the 2016 Olympic team, said athletes are still at risk for sexual, emotional and nonphysical abuse in the sport, despite U.S.A. Gymnastics’ characterization to lawmakers that the sport is improving its protection of athletes. She said she left North Carolina and her longtime coach, Qi Han, earlier this year to train in Texas because of what she characterized as emotional and physical abuse. She said she told U.S.A. Gymnastics and the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which investigates abuse in Olympic sports, about the abuse in 2017.

“They know about his abuse and they did nothing,” she said.

...

Ms. Locklear said Mr. Han’s treatment of her and Dr. Nassar’s abuse had pushed her into depression and that she had even had fleeting thoughts of killing herself. Her mother, Carrie, who worked at the gym, said she sensed her daughter was struggling in 2014, around the time Dr. Nassar first abused her. They discussed the possibility of changing gyms after Ashton Locklear complained to her mother about Mr. Han’s treatment. Carrie Locklear said the family could not afford to make a move.

Ashton Locklear said Mr. Han would scream at her during workouts and throw her out of the gym, saying things like, “Your face tells me that you don’t want to be here.” She described having to follow him around the gym for hours, weeping and begging him to take her back. That would only make him angrier, she said.

He once threw his cellphone at her and hit her leg, she said. During meals, she said he would hover over her to tell her what, exactly, she should eat, she said.

“He would constantly say I was stupid and that he would tell Martha that I was bad and she would hold it against me,” Ms. Locklear said, referring to Martha Karolyi, the former national team coordinator. “I had to walk on eggshells. This is why athletes are afraid to come forward. Coaches have this power over their athletes that keeps the athletes scared and silent. I still feel like I’m terrified.”

Ms. Locklear said that when she told Mr. Han that Dr. Nassar made her feel uncomfortable, he put up his hand to stop her.

“‘You should never be disrespectful about someone who is trying to help you,’” she recalled Mr. Han saying. “‘You should be thankful because you don’t even deserve any of this.’”

Mr. Han denied saying that and his lawyer, Melissa Owen, said Mr. Han’s gym was vigilant about encouraging athletes to speak out about abuse, especially after Dr. Nassar’s abuse became public in 2016.

07: your problematic fav?

Problematic in terms of her public image: AshtonLocklear. I didn’t consider her “problematic” in the sense everyone already didbefore, but now that all the allegations have come out about her bullyingyounger girls at her gym, I must admit that she is probably not actually a niceperson as I had assumed. But she has beautiful bar work! *shrug*

12: your life depends on a gymnast hitting a beamroutine. who do you pick?

Sui Lu

17: should ties be broken? if yes, how?

I think ties should be broken because the judges’ job is torank all the competitors. But I like it only if it means two can’t win the goldtogether and the lower gets bumped down to silver, or silver to bronze (i.e. Kexin/Nastia UB 2008).I think if two gymnasts tied for bronze they should both get the medal (i.e.Aly & Vanessa Ferrari in London).

21: izbasa or ponor?

Izbasa

28: worst floor music ever?

Zoe Gravier’s current music is the WORST music I have everheard. Not even just in gymnastics. It is terrible.

42: most heartbreaking junior?

Apart from the Russian girl whose name I can’t recall rightnow who was absolutely broken before turning senior and had to retire (which isdefinitely worse than anyone else, but I’m sure others have mentioned her) Ipick Zeng Siqi! I thought she would do great things for China as a senior, andI never quite understood why she just stopped doing gymnastics after 2013worlds.