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Gymnastics is one of those sports where it seems as if the athletes were born to flip and fly through the air. As a major highlight for many Olympic viewers, the sport invokes unimaginable inspiration and awe for both the athlete’s dedication and their talent. However as Netflix’s new documentary Athlete A reveals – and as multitudes of other sports scandals can attest – there is scarcely enough attention given to their sacrifices, struggles, or general wellbeing.
The case of Larry Nassar
In 2017, allegations of sexual abuse against USA Gymnastics’ (USAG) team doctor Larry Nassar shocked both the gymnastics community and the rest of the world. Not only was it ‘out of character’ for the previously beloved community member, but the sheer extent and severity of his abuse remained unbelievable to many. In 2018 he was sentenced to 175 years in prison at the close of his hearing which was also featured the powerful testimonies of over 150 survivors who exposed his lies, manipulation, and shameful actions.
The documentary created by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk uses the experience of Athlete A – later identified as the Olympic-hopeful Maggie Nichols – in order to uncover how it was possible for this systemic abuse to exist for long before its public recognition. With now over 265 accusations, the documentary launches the audience towards the revelation that Nassar’s abuse began decades earlier…and that Athlete A‘s complaint was not the first time he had been reported.
So how do they ‘get away with it’?
While not a direct focus of the documentary, it feels relevant to analyse this issue in order to understand its existence.
Michael Lipsky, through his Street-Level Bureaucracy theory, suggests that the discretion provided to those in particular positions of power enables them to manipulate policy as it is implemented. For example, similarly to social workers or police officers, medical professionals (like Nassar) are entrusted with the ability to apply their services directly to people, and are expected to ‘follow the rules’ of policies designed to ensure proper treatment. However as a result of the authority garnered by their expertise and qualifications, in addition to the face-to-face nature of their work, there is often many opportunities for individuals to take advantage of their situation.
While this theory helps to explain how it is possible for criminals like Nassar to exploit their position and remain actively employed, this places much of the focus upon the individual, and ultimately ignores the wider role of perpetrating structures and systems.
Instead, the sociological lens of structural functionalism (stemming from the ideas of Durkheim) focuses upon the role of structures and institutions in allowing particular behaviours, upholding desired expectations, and delivering repercussions (or not…). These problems within broader structures are what the journalists at the Indianapolis Star attempt to uncover throughout the Nassar investigation, explored as the documentary progresses. Accordingly, Athlete A carries the audience along as witnesses to the devastating revelations that came about after a bit of prodding and poking.
The USAG as a wider institution
Athlete A provides yet another example of how sexual assault and abuse manage to persist within institutions as if they were carved into its foundations. A crucial facet of the documentary includes its maintenance that that actors like Nassar are not just flukes who lived undercover from persecution, but that institutions such as the USAG are shaped and designed to enable the interests of those in positions of power.
I suppose one could question how it is possible that such behaviour was continually exhibited by a prominent member of such a respected organisation, however I for one am ultimately not surprised. I also doubt that many of you are either, particularly after developments such as the game-changing Me Too movement which broadcast the issue of widespread sexual assault across our lives. The significance of this documentary is thus not only the pursuit of justice for the survivors of Larry Nassar, but it is also provides a window into a system of institutionally legitimised, and culturally encouraged abuse.
Understanding gymnastics’ sports culture
One of the historically intriguing concepts highlighted by the documentary was the radical cultural change within gymnastics during the 1980s. Following the momentus gold medal win by 14 year old Nadia Comāneci in 1976, the idea and aesthetic of a ‘winner’ changed. Seen as a necessity on the path towards the Olympics, athletes were pressured to maintain a childlike, pre-pubescent figure, which encouraged many to develop eating disorders or unhealthy lifestyles. This is explored throughout Athlete A in alignment with wider social phenomena regarding appearance which – particularly for young girls – can be incredibly constructing and damaging.
In accordance with the desirable younger aesthetic, there was also a shift towards more intensive and oppressive training techniques typical of Soviet countries at the time. This approach infiltrated the broader sphere of gymnastics on the backs of Béla and Márta Károlyi, Comāneci’s Romanian coaches who defected to the USA in 1981. The documentary does a terrific job of imagining both the physically and mentally controlling environments within which gymnasts were forced to train.
‘takes the good and the glory but doesn’t ask how you got there’
Other sports documentaries such as I, Tonya have similarly brought up the issue of athletes who are pressured to follow an ideal narrative of embodied heroism and success. From a historical viewpoint, it almost seems as if this sports culture is envisioned as an ‘American Dream’ style correlation of hard work and success. However Athlete A has helped to expose some the toxic underpinnings of an environment which demands tangible success at unimaginable costs.
Post-viewing thoughts
It’s quite enlightening to consider the historical significance of the Olympics, as they often unintentionally reflect the world’s changes in attitudes and atmospheres. The reaction of Germany following the severe economic impact of the Berlin 1936 games, as well as the cancellation of Tokyo’s 1940 debut can shed some light into WW2 times and tensions. Similarly, as noted by Athlete A, the desire to beat the Soviet countries who dominated the Olympics in the 80s is what drove an worldwide cultural revamp of what athletes needed to do in order to win. More recently, the attention on Nassar’s case following the 2016 Rio games points us in the direction of a worldwide trend where its no longer acceptable to be a bystander.
Through the documentary, gymnastics is highlighted as a sport with its own distinct culture and traditions which have correspondingly sheltered problems and issues from the public, thus attention. Further, both the revelations of sexual abuse and institutional ignorance are cemented within the context of wider systemic issues that extend beyond just gymnastics. For instance, while the documentary closes with the sentencing of Larry Nassar, the fate of perpetrators such as USAG’s former CEO Steve Penny remains undetermined. While arguably not direct abusers, Penny and many others have contributed to creating the environment within which such abuse is possible, and the system which renders it almost acceptable. In addition, they are revealed to have actively resisted any attempts to change it, covering up indiscretions for the sake of appearance – thus making them equally, if not more responsible.
We have seen the transformative effects of changed social expectations regarding sexual abuse – such as within the Catholic Church – and now Athlete A has added the gymnastics sports industry to the mix. Ultimately an infuriating yet equally inspiring story of struggle, resistance, and personal victories, this documentary will evoke your emotions on its continually unfolding journey towards hope for its survivors.
References & Additional Material
Cohen, B. & Shenk, J. (2020). ‘Athlete A‘. Netflix.
Gajanan, M. (2020). ‘The Story Behind Netflix’s Athlete A, a New Documentary About the USA Gymnastics Sex Abuse Scandal‘. TIME Magazine.
Pometsey, O. (2020). ‘Athlete A is the most enraging sexual abuse documentary yet – and that’s saying something‘. GQ Magazine
Very interesting points you have remarked, appreciate it for putting up. Maryellen Adolphus McIntyre
[…] as a checkpoint at which only the most dedicated, talented, and ruthless can reach (as discussed in Exploring Athlete A). This worldwide movement provides the opportunity for nations to come together every 4 years in […]
An excellent review.