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Amy Tinkler alleges British Gymnastics have 'lied to her for five months'

Amy Tinkler of South Essex Gymnastics Club competes on the Floor in the WAG Senior Apparatus Final during the Gymnastics  - Getty Images
Amy Tinkler of South Essex Gymnastics Club competes on the Floor in the WAG Senior Apparatus Final during the Gymnastics - Getty Images

British Olympian Amy Tinkler claims to have been lied to by British Gymnastics for "five months", after only just being informed that her complaint against the national governing body was closed in March.

The Rio bronze medallist, who retired in January following negative experiences in the sport, has been in an ongoing public row with British Gymnastics since July when she revealed a complaint she filed last December was yet to be fully investigated.

Over the summer she has repeatedly implored chief executive Jane Allen to respond to her various questions regarding her case, and even "begged" the organisation to move faster in getting her closure.

But in the latest twist in the saga on Monday, Tinkler 'alleged’ that - unbeknownst to her - her case had in fact been closed that entire time, and that British Gymnastics had been stringing her along in the interim.

"The investigation into my complaints was concluded in March 2020," Tinkler wrote in a statement on her social media.

"This really stinks and my patience has run out," she added. "I’ve tried to do the right thing but the people running British Gymnastics can’t be trusted. They have let us all down. They lie. We deserve better than this. Change at the top must happen before the right thing will be done."

Tinkler then announced that she would be revealing screenshots of her correspondence with the national governing body, in a public denouncement of their dealings with her. She is one of a number of Team GB gymnasts who have spoken out against the organisation, with fellow Olympic medallist Nile Wilson as well as World medallists Becky and Ellie Downie voicing their frustrations.

They are among a huge number of gymnasts who have detailed a culture of fear and abusive coaching environments in the sport this summer, which led to UK Sport and Sport England launching the Whyte Review into the state of gymnastics. There are also said to be over 20 gymnasts looking into launching legal action against the governing body.

Allen, who has served as chief executive for a decade, has been widely criticised for her failure to apologise publicly to gymnasts and many in the sport have called for her to step down. Tinkler said on Monday that the chief executive had not responded to the questions she posed to her in an open letter earlier this month, with Allen's excuse being that she does not read the news or social media so "didn’t see my questions".

British Gymnastics declined to comment, but in an email sent by integrity director Richard Evans last week - as seen by the Telegraph Sport - explained that it was him and not Allen that had been in touch with Tinkler because her open letter was regarding the complaints process, which the CEO does not directly deal in.