B.C. woman sues Gymnastics Canada, claiming abuse

Disturbing allegations have been outlined in a lawsuit filed against Gymnastics Canada and other governing bodies for the sport across the country in B.C. Supreme Court.

The lead plaintiff is Langley’s Amelia Cline, in a class action which could initially involve up to 20 athletes claiming they experienced various forms of abuse at the hands of their coaches, from 1978 to the present day.

“What we are claiming is that there’s a culture of abuse that exists within gymnastics, that these institutions have failed to address over decades, and that many gymnasts have suffered sexual, psychological and physical abuse,” Cline told CityNews in an interview.

“The purpose of the lawsuit is really to help hold these institutions accountable, to hopefully send a message that systemic abuse cannot be allowed to be perpetuated within these sports, and also to ensure that compensation is given to people who have been harmed to date.

“We know that there are lots of people suffering from a variety of very severe, both physical and psychological injuries that are ongoing. The goal of the lawsuit is to ensure that they can have access to the treatments that they need as a result of the harm that they’ve suffered.”

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But she says this lawsuit goes far beyond her, and says she’s had conversations with many former athletes about traumatic physical, psychological and sexual abuse while participating in gymnastics in this country.

“What is remarkable is our experiences are so similar,” Cline said. “There really is such a commonality, even though there is some differences in the particulars of the abuse, the commonality of the experiences is really quite striking. You could basically write out our stories, and remove our names, and you wouldn’t be able to tell who was who, in many cases.

“We certainly believe this is a systemic issue, and this is why it’s being brought as a class action.”

Beyond Gymnastics Canada, the suit names the governing bodies for B.C., Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

The lawsuit includes specific claims made by Cline against Omega Gymnastics Sports Centre in Coquitlam, where Cline says she endured physical and psychological abuse.

She says she suffered a variety of injuries and health issues while training there, including a training-induced seizure, back and neck injuries, disordered eating and stunted growth, among other maladies.

Cline seeks unspecified financial compensation for affected athletes and wants gymnastic governing bodies to set up procedures to protect the physical and psychological health of athletes involved in the sport.

The allegations outlined in Cline’s lawsuit have not been proven in court.

CityNews has contacted Gymnastics Canada and Omega Gymnastics Sports Centre for comment on this story.

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