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.
The media always spins stories incorrectly. Let me be clear, I was NOT forced to compete on my broken foot.I never said that. I trained my whole life for THAT moment & it was an honor to compete for my country. I had zero doubt I could perform a great vault for Team USA & I did. pic.twitter.com/1Qbmh1PCke— mckayla (@McKaylaMaroney) August 2, 2021
The media always spins stories incorrectly. Let me be clear, I was NOT forced to compete on my broken foot.I never said that. I trained my whole life for THAT moment & it was an honor to compete for my country. I had zero doubt I could perform a great vault for Team USA & I did. pic.twitter.com/1Qbmh1PCke
As an athlete who did that for my country, it’s extremely offensive for the media to say I was FORCED to compete. As if wanted to quit, and go home? That vault was one of the best moments of my life, please don’t take that away from me.— mckayla (@McKaylaMaroney) August 2, 2021
As an athlete who did that for my country, it’s extremely offensive for the media to say I was FORCED to compete. As if wanted to quit, and go home? That vault was one of the best moments of my life, please don’t take that away from me.
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.
So, @USAGym and USOC aka @TeamUSA When I was under “your care” in Tokyo competing for Team USA at 15, and my parents weren’t allowed to stay in my hotel, or see me in person…When I was all alone, naked, with Larry Nassar on top of me for 50min balling. Who’s fault is that?— mckayla (@McKaylaMaroney) August 1, 2021
So, @USAGym and USOC aka @TeamUSA When I was under “your care” in Tokyo competing for Team USA at 15, and my parents weren’t allowed to stay in my hotel, or see me in person…When I was all alone, naked, with Larry Nassar on top of me for 50min balling. Who’s fault is that?
“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.”
USAG then points fingers at the USOC for abuse because they manage Olympics, international competitions, and all things Team USA.Tell me why I never spoke to anyone from the USOC until the day I got to London?? and they just gave me rules of things I shouldn’t say or do. https://t.co/fMN074Mqxu— mckayla (@McKaylaMaroney) August 1, 2021
USAG then points fingers at the USOC for abuse because they manage Olympics, international competitions, and all things Team USA.Tell me why I never spoke to anyone from the USOC until the day I got to London?? and they just gave me rules of things I shouldn’t say or do. https://t.co/fMN074Mqxu
“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.”