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McKayla Maroney says she competed on a broken foot at the 2012 Olympics

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Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

In a series of videos posted to her Instagram story on Sunday, former USA Gymnastics star McKayla Maroney pulled the curtain back on what happens “behind the scenes” at the Olympics.

In the videos, Maroney revealed that at the 2012 Olympics in London, she broke her foot while practicing on the balance beam soon after arriving in London. Even though she wasn’t competing in the event, Maroney said then-coach Marta Karolyi still had her complete three balance-beam routines.

“And that’s when I broke my foot, on the beam, because I was dizzy as hell,” Maroney said in the video. “Like, I felt terrible. I looked at my coach before my beam routine and was like, ‘Really? You’re going to make me get on this thing right now? I feel like s—!'”

After media outlets picked up the story, Maroney appeared to reject the notion that she was “forced” into competing on Monday, saying instead that she only wanted to reveal what happens behind the scenes at the Olympics.

Maroney said it was team doctor Larry Nassar who lied to Karolyi about the break “because he liked me” and “enjoyed abusing me, and didn’t want to see me leave.”

“Luckily for me, I wanted to stay… I had made the team, and I was at the Olympics! I wanted to compete,” she continued.

“The point of my IG story yesterday was to talk about how Vault Finals is unsafe,” she wrote in a later tweet. “I started it by telling my story about breaking my foot in London & Larry lying to remind ppl they have NO idea what happens behind the scenes at the Olympics.”

In sharing her story, Maroney said that both the USOC and USA Gym should be held responsible for what happened. The gymnasts, she revealed, were not allowed to interact with their parents while at competitions because they were viewed as a “distraction.” Parents would have to sign a waiver releasing the gymnasts into USAG’s care, otherwise they would be unable to compete.

“USAG says they’re not responsible for the abuse that happened,” she wrote on Twitter. “USAG then points fingers at the USOC for abuse because they manage Olympics, international competitions, and all things Team USA.”

“USOC was so hands off I didn’t even know I was under their care,” she continued. “Or that the Karoyli camp I trained at every month was an Olympic facility managed by them!!?

“To me it felt more like a gym in the middle of a forest, with limited food supply, and a doctor molesting me twice a day.”