Summary
A famous swimmer, Rūta Meilutytė, shared that she was negatively impacted by the intense training program of a well-known UK swim coach, Jon Rudd. She and other former swimmers described experiences of bullying and a harsh environment at the Plymouth Leander swimming club, but no action was taken by the sport's governing body at the time.
Key Facts
- Rūta Meilutytė is an Olympic gold medalist who spoke about her struggle with an eating disorder and depression due to Jon Rudd’s coaching methods.
- 12 former swimmers reported bullying and a toxic training environment under Rudd at Plymouth Leander.
- Swim England did not act on a 2012 investigation that recommended suspending Rudd after witness testimonies.
- Swim England's current CEO apologized to the swimmers affected by the governing body's lack of action.
- Jon Rudd did not respond to inquiries from the BBC.
- After his tenure at Plymouth Leander, Rudd accepted a position as a high-performance director for Saudi Arabia's Olympic swimming team.
- Antony James, an Olympic swimmer coached by Rudd, was later convicted of serious crimes involving minors he met at the club.
- Rūta Meilutytė described Rudd's conduct as damaging, including his comments about her weight.
