Olympic champ Simone Biles says she was abused by doctor
Simone Biles watched as her friends and former Olympic teammates came forward to detail abuse at the hands of a now-imprisoned former USA Gymnastics team doctor.
Drawing in part from their strength, the four-time gold medallist acknowledged Monday she is among the athletes who were sexually abused by Larry Nassar.
Biles, who won five medals overall at the 2016 Olympics, released a statement via Twitter outlining that abuse. Nassar, who spent more than two decades as a physician at USA Gymnastics while also working at Michigan State University, has admitted sexually assaulting gymnasts, possessing child pornography and molesting girls who sought medical treatment. He was sentenced in December to 60 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography and is facing another 40 to 125 years in prison after pleading guilty to assaulting seven girls.
Biles, now 20, called Nassar’s behaviour “completely unacceptable, disgusting, and abusive, especially from someone whom I was told to trust.” She joins a list of high-profile gymnasts who have come out against Nassar, including six-time Olympic medallist Aly Raisman, 2012 all-around champion Gabby Douglas and two-time Olympic medallist McKayla Maroney.