A Decade After Nassar, Gymnastics Is Still Failing Its Athletes

A Damning Verdict From the Courtroom to Rotterdam

Ten years have passed since the Larry Nassar scandal shook gymnastics to its core — and the judge who put him away has a stark message for the sport: almost nothing has truly changed. Gymnastics is still failing athletes in "almost every way" despite reforms introduced in the decade since the Larry Nassar abuse scandal, according to the judge who sentenced the former USA Gymnastics doctor. That judge, Rosemarie Aquilina, did not hold back. She said changes made by governing bodies around the world amounted largely to "window dressing," and that athletes remained fearful that speaking out could cost them their place in the sport.

Aquilina was speaking at an event organized by Gymnasts for Change International in Rotterdam, held in conjunction with the World Championships, to assess progress made on athlete welfare since she sent Nassar to jail for up to 175 years for sexually abusing young female gymnasts entrusted to his care. The setting was pointed. The 2026 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships were held at the Ahoy Arena in Rotterdam, Netherlands, from October 17–25. While elite gymnasts competed for medals inside the arena, survivors and advocates gathered outside it to demand accountability.

The Scandal That Was Supposed to Change Everything

Ten years after the Indianapolis Star published allegations against Nassar, hundreds of women had come forward and he was convicted and jailed. Judge Aquilina allowed victims to speak during his sentencing proceedings, where 169 people delivered statements across seven days, and she ultimately sentenced Nassar to up to 175 years in jail — with other federal and state convictions bringing his total sentence to 300 years to life. 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 US Senate Judiciary Committee.

In the aftermath, governing bodies pledged sweeping change. USA Gymnastics introduced 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. In 2021, an independent commission confirmed that intimidation, bullying, and a harsh, fear-based culture were rampant across top-flight Dutch gymnastics, though several coaches were suspended without criminal charges being brought against them. Policies were written. Websites were updated. Boxes were checked.

Reform on Paper, Fear in Practice

The problem, survivors and advocates say, is that policy changes have not translated into cultural ones. What is still consistently heard is that there's a "control dominance style of coaching" that is pervasive in the sport, meaning gymnasts don't have a strong voice — and that yelling, training on injuries, body shaming, and a preoccupation with thinness persist. There is sharp criticism that the sports field still prioritizes money, medals, and honor over children's safety and human rights.

Judge Aquilina told audiences at the Gymnasts for Change International event 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. There is one glimmer of encouragement, however. One encouraging shift is that athletes are increasingly staying in the sport beyond their teenage years, with gymnasts competing into their late 20s and some returning after having children — a sign that the culture of burning young athletes out and discarding them may, slowly, be softening.

The Long Road Ahead

Survivors are realizing they can stand together and get change, and they don't have to do it individually. That collective momentum is perhaps the most meaningful development of the past decade — not the policy documents, but the growing network of athletes willing to keep pushing. The discussion comes as World Gymnastics prepares to appoint a new secretary general in the coming months, with Swiss Nicolas Buompane stepping down at the end of 2026. That leadership transition represents a concrete opportunity to install someone with a genuine commitment to reform.

Still, Aquilina's prognosis is sobering. "I don't think we're going to see a change in my lifetime. I think it's going to take decades," she said. Her parting words from the Rotterdam event cut to the heart of what has been missing all along. For Aquilina, the central issue is whether athletes can speak out without fear of retaliation: "Without a voice, there's no choice and there's no change." Until the sport's culture catches up with its paperwork, that voice remains the most powerful reform tool of all.