Simone Biles: I Blame Larry Nassar and Entire System that Enabled and Perpetrated His Abuse

EXCERPT:

BILES: "To be clear, I blame Larry Nassar and I also blame an entire system that enabled and perpetrated his abuse. U.S.A. gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee knew that I was abused by their official team doctor long before I was ever made aware of their knowledge. In May of 2015, Rhonda Faehn, the former head of U.S.A. gymnastics Women‘s Program was told by my friend and teammate, Maggie Nichols, that she suspected I too was a victim. I didn‘t understand the magnitude of what all was happening until the Indianapolis star published its article in the fall of 2016 entitled, 'Former U.S.A. Gymnastics Doctor Accused of Abuse.' Yet, while I was a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic team, neither U.S.A.G., U.S.O.P.C. nor the FBI ever contacted me or my parents. While others had been informed and investigations were ongoing, I have been left to wonder why I was not told until after the Rio games. This is the largest case of sexual abuse in the history of American sports. And although there have been a fully independent investigation of the FBI's handholding of the case, neither U.S.A.G. nor U.S.O.P.C. have ever been made the subject of the same level of scrutiny. These are the entities entrusted with the protection of our sport and our athletes, and yet it feels like questions of responsibility and organizational failures remain unanswered."