Ten Years After Nassar, Gymnastics Survivors Say Real Change Has Yet to Come

A Reckoning That Shook the World — But Changed It Too Little

It has been a decade since the Indianapolis Star first published allegations against Larry Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who would become the face of one of the most horrific sexual abuse scandals in sports history. Ten years after those initial allegations, hundreds of women had come forward, and Nassar was convicted and jailed. Judge Rosemarie Aquilina sentenced him to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing more than 250 women and girls. The world watched. The world was outraged. And yet, according to survivors and advocates gathering this month in Rotterdam, the world of gymnastics has changed far too little.

Judge Aquilina told audiences at the Gymnasts for Change International event on the sidelines of the World Championships in Rotterdam that reforms introduced by gymnastics governing bodies around the world were superficial, and that athletes are still fearful that speaking out could jeopardize their careers. According to Aquilina, ten years have passed since Nassar's crimes were exposed, but there have been few substantial reforms — because money, medals, and fame are still being prioritized over children's safety.

The Voices That Broke the Silence

Olympic gymnasts Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, and Jamie Dantzscher were among those who spoke out, while Simone Biles disclosed that she was a victim and later testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Judge Aquilina allowed victims to speak during sentencing proceedings, where 169 people delivered statements across seven days. It was an extraordinary, historic moment — a courtroom transformed into a space of reckoning. But a powerful verdict, it turns out, does not automatically produce a transformed institution.

In Rotterdam, Aquilina joined activists, survivors, and representatives of Gymnasts for Change International. Its executive director, Claire Hefford, who survived abuse in sport, said survivors are still not always heard, and that the scale of reforms does not match the scale of the revelations — with resistance within governing bodies and the rigid hierarchy of sports organizations hindering change. Whistleblowers who came forward in gymnastics — not just in the United States, but in Germany, the UK, and other countries — were retaliated against. That culture of silence, advocates say, has not been fully dismantled.

What Has Actually Changed

USA Gymnastics did introduce changes after the case, including an Athlete Bill of Rights and safeguarding training for adult members. In Britain, Anne Whyte QC's independent review found physical and emotional abuse were systemic, prompting British Gymnastics to launch a 40-point plan. Another significant development was the opening of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an organization founded to create a formal process to investigate and respond to allegations of sexual abuse and misconduct in the Olympic community. But even that institution has faced criticism. SafeSport says reports of abusive behavior have grown rapidly — and it doesn't have the resources to keep up.

Aimee Boorman, Simone Biles' former coach, made similar observations during an interview with Dutch outlet NRC during the Worlds: "A change is taking place in gymnastics, but fundamentally there is still a lot wrong." The documentary Athlete A, named after Maggie Nichols, highlighted a coaching culture described as one of compliance, fear, and silence — a culture that many say persists in gyms around the world to this day.

The Fight Is Not Over

The Rotterdam discussions took place as World Gymnastics prepares to appoint a new secretary general in the coming months, with Swiss official Nicolas Buompane stepping down at the end of 2026 — and the timing of the Gymnasts for Change event was deliberately chosen to highlight what the group believes should be priorities for incoming leadership. Gymnasts for Change Canada representative Kim Shore called on World Gymnastics to undertake broad cultural reforms, including banning the weighing of gymnasts and preventing athletes from competing without a medical certificate.

For advocates, the fundamental test remains whether sporting success is being prioritized over athletes' welfare. Policies can be written and plans can be announced, but real change lives in the daily reality of young athletes in gyms — whether they feel safe, whether they feel heard, and whether the adults around them are truly accountable. A decade after the scandal broke open, that question is still, painfully, unanswered.