Athlete A

  

Athlete A is a documentary about the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal that rocked the entire world. Hundreds of young female gymnasts were sexually abused, but the leadership at USA Gymnastics turned a blind eye to what was happening. The documentary recounts what it took to end this abuse by interviewing survivors - particularly Maggie Nichols (Athlete A) and Rachel Denhollander - their families, former gymnasts, and reporters from The Indianapolis Star who helped to expose the abuse and hold the enablers accountable. The documentary also touches on the toxic culture of elite-level gymnastics and how it harms young girls.

Released 2020; Runtime 103 minutes

Concepts

• Sexual Abuse: The documentary explores how one person could spend decades sexually abusing hundreds of girls and get away with it for so long. Due to his status, power, and connections, any complaints that were brought against him could be quietly deflected or buried. Combine that with a toxic culture that prized winning and obedience above everything else, and you have a recipe for unprecedented levels of abuse.
• Ethics: Reporting - or in this case, not reporting - abuse has numerous legal, ethical, and moral ramifications. Leadership at USA Gymnastics failed their obligations, which in turn led to more abuse. A perfect example of what not to do.
• Injury and Illness: Parts of the documentary focus on the physical abuse that is forced upon high-level gymnasts in pursuit of Olympic gold medals. While many athletes may compete with injuries, because of the culture created by USA Gymnastics, girls felt they had no choice but to suffer.