World Gymnastics sets out power to extend national sanctions

World Gymnastics’ new policy for protecting athletes from abuse sets out the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation’s power to extend national sanctions across borders. The authority applies only when sanctions imposed by member federations are compatible with World Gymnastics’ rules and general principles of law, the Guardian reported on October 24.

The policy was published the previous week. World Gymnastics launched the foundation in 2019, and it has handled nearly 500 reports, according to the Guardian. Whether the authority to extend sanctions differs from the previous policy remains unclear.

Calls for international action

Former gymnast and independent safe sport advocate Kim Shore called for World Gymnastics to take a leadership role. She told the Guardian that accounts of mistreatment were consistent internationally and that coaches were moving between countries more frequently, or into other sports, particularly after getting into trouble.

Shore said reforms set by the international governing body and carried through national federations to clubs could bring faster change and less resistance. She argued that governing bodies had engaged too slowly, partly because acknowledging harm could expose organizations to legal liability.

World Gymnastics established a safeguarding commission in 2022 and appointed a full-time safeguarding manager in 2026, the Guardian reported. In its response, the governing body said protecting gymnasts was a responsibility shared across the sport. It said its priority was both to strengthen rules and policies and to ensure they produce meaningful changes in everyday practice.