Huge moments as Darlington gymnast, 10, 'so proud' after winning medal at nationals
Hugo Metcalfe, aged 10, competed at Birmingham's Utilita Arena on Sunday, July 13, and earned a podium finish in a national event featuring the best in the country.
Hugo Metcalfe, 10, from Darlington on his podium finish at the British Championships (Image: Stuart Boulton) His dad, Chris Metcalfe said: 'He's worked so hard for this. He trains four nights a week for two and a half hours and never wants to miss a session.'
Hugo, who trains at Teesside Academy of Gymnastics, marked his birthday the day before the competition.
Mr Metcalfe added: 'We travelled down on Saturday and the whole family made a weekend of it.
'That evening, he got to practise in the arena and he said, 'I wouldn't want to be doing anything else on my birthday.''
Darlington gymnast Hugo Metcalfe at Teesside Academy of Gymnastics in Middlesbrough (Image: Stuart Boulton) Hugo began gymnastics around four years ago, after early involvement in parent and child sessions.
'He's always wanted to do it. He just comes alive when he's in the gym,' said Mr Metcalfe.
'He's a quiet lad day to day, but in gymnastics he's confident, focused, and has so many friends.'
Hugo Metcalfe on the podium at his event (Image: CHRIS METCALFE) Mr Metcalfe said walking out to the national anthem was a huge moment.
'He was just happy to make the competition, but I knew deep down he wanted that medal. I just wanted him to enjoy it.'
Hugo stood proudly on the podium after securing third place.
'It was amazing,' Mr Metcalfe said.
'He brought the medal into the gym the next day and was so proud. He was allowed the night off from training, but he was back in the gym the night after.'
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In the finals, a fellow gymnast fell and lost his place in the competition. 'Hugo was the first to run over and check he was okay,' said Chris.
'That's just who he is. We're proud of how he performs, but even more proud of the way he carries himself.'
His younger sister, two years his junior, is also now training in gymnastics. 'She's following his path,' said Mr Metcalfe.
'They're both loving it.'
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New York Times
5 hours ago
- New York Times
Aston Villa's North Stand plans set for approval – and could transform the club and the area
Birmingham City Council's planning committee will convene on August 28, with a view to voting on plans to expand Villa Park. Planning permission is sought for the extension of the stadium's North Stand, increasing its size by 5,926 seats to take the ground's overall capacity to 48,809. This marks a key date in Aston Villa's ambition to raise the maximum number of spectators above 50,000 in time for the 2028 European Championship, being co-hosted by England, Scotland, Wales and the Republic of Ireland, in which theirs is set to be one of the nine grounds staging games. Advertisement A raised capacity would also assist with Villa's efforts to grow matchday revenues, helping them comply with profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). Presently, a major issue impacting the ability to drive revenues is stadium capacity. West Ham United, for example, boast a ground that holds 20,000 more spectators than Villa Park's 42,640. Within draft papers seen by The Athletic are the details of the application. Pertinently, it indicates that the planning application has been recommended for approval by council planners and, therefore, work on extending the North Stand should be authorised. Technically, the draft documents relating to Villa Park's expansion could change or be dropped at any stage and will be confirmed shortly. The draft paper, though, has summarised: 'The Birmingham Development Plan (BDP) supports the enhancement of the city's sporting infrastructure and recognises the role of major sporting venues in contributing to Birmingham's international profile, economy and social wellbeing.' Villa's vision has long been to create a 50,000-plus capacity stadium for themselves, increasing the maximum crowd size by 8,000 in time for Euro 2028. To meet that target, it is felt work would have to begin next summer at the latest. The North Stand, behind one of the goals and opposite the famed Holte End, is integral to the redevelopment — the planning committee will decide whether to sanction plans to house more than 12,000 spectators there. Incremental additions to the three other sides of the ground will lead to the targeted capacity and, longer-term, to a 52,500-seat venue. The Athletic has seen copies of redevelopment proposals, which show a higher overall structure and seating in the upper tier of the North Stand than currently exists, with a redesigned lower tier also creating additional capacity. The new North Stand will wrap around into the neighbouring main Trinity Stand. 'The current facade (front of the stand) would be retained, reclad and glazed, to modernise the existing structure,' the report says. 'The existing roof would be replaced by a new structure that would appear to float above the stand, allowing the light to pass through.' Building works would result in an extended North Stand 'arrival plaza' for visiting teams to enter the stadium, as well as relocating present security operations into the revamped structure. As previously explained, expanding Villa Park has been a complex issue. Planning permission was secured in December 2022, albeit under a different construction model, and intended to be put into action at the end of the 2023-24 season. However, that project was shelved the following year, with the latest expansion proposal being announced this April. In the new application, Villa have used recommendations from 2022 to form the base of their planning, such as the advice given on travel plans and transport assessments. This time, their North Stand rebuild is described as more 'pragmatic.' Advertisement 'The supporting transport assessment notes this increase in capacity is less than previously approved, so any impacts will be slightly less,' the report reads. 'The club have now reassessed their vision and decided to realise this in a different way. This involved securing independent planning permissions for the redevelopment of the new club shop and the transformation of the existing 'Academy' building on site, fronting onto Witton Lane, into 'The Warehouse' (a newly developed live entertainment venue opening next to Villa Park). 'Both permissions have now been implemented, with the new club shop opening in April 2025 and The Warehouse due to open by December 2025.' Reasons for supporting the North Stand plans are given, including the 'considerable social and economic benefits' of the encompassing area. The report states that Villa Park attracts approximately 1.17million visitors annually, which contributes an estimated £41.1m ($55.3m) in local spending. Moreover, should the building work proceed — which would take around two years to complete — further economic benefits include the creation of 192 full-time jobs. The report notes the measures required to support the stadium expansion. To help deal with the higher footfall and, consequently, an increased level of matchday traffic within a compact, urban area to the north of Birmingham's city centre, there are several 'soft measures' being considered. Research indicates that 59 per cent of supporters for 3pm kick-offs arrive by car, 30 per cent on train and three per cent via bus. As a result, improvements are needed in off-site, off-street parking, as well as more effective rail and bus services. Taxi pick-up areas and more coach and bus routes to and from the ground are other examples of soft measures required. Meanwhile, harder measures — more objective and essential — will be discussed, including additional pedestrian routes, areas to park bikes and semi-permanent barriers at nearby Aston train station. Advertisement As is customary for an application such as this, various groups related to the redevelopment have been asked if they objected to the planning application. These ranged from historical and conservation groups, as well as national highways, Network Rail, the Lead Local Flood Authority (LLFA) and Severn Trent Water — which recommended a drainage plan — plus the West Midlands' fire and police services. Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) stated there is 'an opportunity to make further sustainable transport commitments' and outlined a desire to work with the council on specific points. These consist of train schedules, mitigation plans, bus routes and accident-data analysis. Leisure services commented on a lack of soft landscaping, 'suggesting more consideration could be made on incorporating further trees within the car parking areas'. Similarly, other environmental groups recommended that certain conditions be met, such as additional details regarding new planting and how to implement an ecological management plan. For example, the RSPB Bird & Wildlife Conservation Charity suggested installing swift nest bricks to aid local biodiversity. There were no objections from the aforementioned groups. Before the application was submitted, local residents and councillors held two meetings in May to discuss the planning application. Afterwards, a statement from the local 'Community Engagement' group came out in support of the proposals. One letter from a resident in support was received, who said that a high-end sporting venue is a net positive, though they insisted transport assessments should be more ambitious. This, naturally, included the redesign of neighbouring Witton rail station, which the club said was a 'vital component' of ensuring the redevelopment proceeds. Any capacity increase would place an unmanageable strain on local transport, so Villa need the stadium expansion to happen alongside the station's rebuild. There is pragmatism from all parties that, while a total and costly rebuild of Witton station is off the table, smaller changes to it would enable Villa Park's capacity to be increased, as outlined in The Athletic's report in May. Advertisement There was no universal agreement from residents. Objectors cite issues around noise and general disruption, with the stadium expansion, in their view, blocking sunlight and proving an eyesore. To counteract this argument, within the planning application, it is explained that the stadium's extension 'would respond sensitively to the surrounding low-rise residential housing within proximity to the (North) Stand, by reducing the roof impact and using transparent materials to minimise visual intrusion'. An upshot of more supporters on matchdays would mean an increase in traffic and the amount of rubbish left on the surrounding streets, which has been a long-standing issue in the Aston area and one that local councillors have looked to resolve by increasing street cleaning and the number of bins available. One particular objection was that Villa allegedly blocked a resident's mobile phone data on matchdays. 'AVFC has no control over mobile networks and matters related to mobile data performance or telecommunication signal quality are the responsibility of mobile network operators, not the football club,' was the response stated within the report. Nonetheless, the overall feedback, logistically and personally, is strongly in favour of expansion. Should the council's planning committee members believe the same, it will mark a significant step in the long-term ambitions of redeveloping Villa Park. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned US gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI
The US gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang 'Chow' Qiao, the owner of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, thought highly enough of his new hire, Sean Gardner, to put him in charge of the club's premier junior event and to coach some of its most promising girls. But four years later, Gardner was gone from Chow's with little notice. USA Gymnastics, the organization rocked by the Larry Nassar sex-abuse crisis that led to the creation of the US Center for SafeSport, had been informed by the watchdog group that Gardner was suspended from all contact with gymnasts. The reason for Gardner's removal wasn't disclosed. But court records obtained exclusively by The Associated Press show the coach was accused of sexually abusing at least three young gymnasts at Chow's and secretly recording others undressing in a gym bathroom at his prior job in Mississippi. Last week, more than three years after being suspended from coaching, the FBI arrested Gardner, 38, on a federal child pornography charge. But his disciplinary case has still not been resolved by SafeSport, which handles sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports. In cases like Gardner's, the public can be in the dark for years while SafeSport investigates and sanctions coaches. SafeSport requires that allegations be reported to police to ensure abusers don't run unchecked outside of sports, but critics say the system is a slow, murky process. 'From an outward operational view, it seems that if SafeSport is involved in any way, the situation turns glow-in-the-dark toxic,' said attorney Steve Silvey, a longtime SafeSport critic who has represented people in cases involving the center. While acknowledging there can be delays as its investigations unfold, SafeSport defended its temporary suspensions in a statement as 'a unique and valuable intervention' when there are concerns of a risk to others. Nevertheless, in 2024, Gardner was able to land a job helping care for surgical patients at an Iowa hospital – two years after the abuse allegations against him were reported to SafeSport and the police. And it was not until late May that West Des Moines police executed a search warrant at his home, eventually leading to the recovery of a trove of photos and videos on his computer and cellphone of nude young girls, court records show. Authorities in Iowa sealed the court documents after the AP asked about the investigation earlier this month, before details of the federal charge were made public Friday. Gardner, Qiao and Gardner's former employer in Mississippi did not respond to AP requests for comment. Chow's Gymnastics is best known as the academy where US gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas trained before becoming gold medalists at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Qiao opened the gym in 1998 after starring on the Chinese national team and moving to the United States to coach at the University of Iowa. The gym became a draw for top youth gymnasts, with some families moving to Iowa to train there. Gardner moved to Iowa in September 2018, jumping at the opportunity to coach under Qiao. 'This is the job that I've always wanted. Chow is really someone I have looked up to since I've been coaching,' Gardner told the ABC affiliate WOI-TV in 2019. 'And you can tell when you step foot in the gym, just even from coaching the girls, the culture that he's built. It's amazing. It's beautiful.' A year later, Gardner was promoted to director of Chow's Winter Classic, an annual meet that draws more than 1,000 gymnasts to Iowa. He also coached a junior Olympics team during his four-year tenure at Chow's. Several of his students earned college gymnastics scholarships, but Gardner said he had bigger goals. 'You want to leave a thumbprint on their life, so when they go off hopefully to school, to bigger and better things, that they remember Chow's as family,' he said in a 2020 interview with WOI-TV. Gardner is accused of abusing his position at Chow's and his former job at Jump'In Gymnastics in Mississippi to prey on girls under his tutelage, according to a nine-page FBI affidavit released Friday that summarizes the allegations against him. A girl reported to SafeSport in March 2022 that Gardner used 'inappropriate spotting techniques' in which he would put his hands between her legs and touch her vagina, the affidavit said. It said she alleged Gardner would ask girls if they were sexually active and call them 'idiots, sluts, and whores.' She said this behavior began after his hiring in 2018 and continued until she left the gym in 2020 and provided the names of six other potential victims. SafeSport suspended Gardner in July 2022 – four months after the girl's report – a provisional step it can take in severe cases with 'sufficient evidentiary support' as investigations proceed. A month after that, the center received a report from another girl alleging additional 'sexual contact and physical abuse,' including that Gardner similarly fondled her during workouts, the FBI affidavit said. The girl said that he once dragged her across the carpet so hard that it burned her buttocks, the affidavit said. SafeSport shared the reports with West Des Moines police, in line with its policy requiring adults who interact with youth athletes to disclose potential criminal cases to law enforcement. While SafeSport's suspension took Gardner out of gymnastics, the criminal investigation quickly hit a roadblock. Police records show a detective told SafeSport to urge the alleged victims to file criminal complaints, but only one of their mothers contacted police in 2022. That woman said her daughter did not want to pursue criminal charges, and police suspended the investigation. Victims of abuse are often reluctant to cooperate with police, said Ken Lang, a retired detective and associate professor of criminal justice at Milligan University. 'In this case you have the prestige of this facility,' he said. 'Do they want to associate their name with that, in that way, when their aspirations were to succeed in gymnastics?' Police suspended the investigation, even as Gardner was on probation for his second-offense of driving while intoxicated. The case stayed dormant until April 2024 when another former Chow's student came forward to the West Des Moines Police Department to report abuse allegations, according to a now-sealed affidavit signed by police detective Jeff Lyon. The AP is not identifying the student in line with its policy of not naming victims of alleged sexual abuse. The now 18-year-old told police she began taking lessons from Gardner when she was 11 or 12 in 2019, initially seeing him as a 'father figure' who tried to help her get through her parents' divorce. He told her she could tell him 'anything,' the affidavit said. When she moved in 2021, she told police, he gave her a hug and said she could text and follow him on Instagram and other social media sites, where he went by the nickname 'Coach Seanie,' because gym policy barring such contact no longer applied. According to a summary of her statement provided in Lyon's affidavit, she said Gardner fondled her during exercises, repeatedly touching her vagina; rubbed her back and butt and discussed his sex life; and made her do inappropriate stretches that exposed her privates. She told police she suspected he used his cellphone to film her in that position. Reached by the AP, the teen's mother declined comment. The mother told police she was interested in a monetary settlement with Chow's because the gym 'had been made aware of the complaints and they did nothing to stop them,' according to Lyon's affidavit. The gym didn't return AP messages seeking comment. It took 16 months after the teen's 2024 report for the FBI to arrest Gardner, who made an initial court appearance in Des Moines on Friday on a charge of producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which can carry up to 30 years in prison. A public defender assigned to represent him didn't return AP messages seeking comment. It's unclear why the case took so long to investigate and also when the FBI, which had to pay $138 million to Nassar's victims for botching that investigation, got involved in the case. Among evidence seized by investigators in late May were a cellphone, laptop and a desktop computer along with handwritten notes between Gardner and his former pupils, according to the sealed court documents. They found images of girls, approximately 6 to 14 years in age, who were nude, using the toilet or changing into leotards, those documents show. Those images appear to have come from a hidden camera in a restroom. They also uncovered 50 video files and 400 photos, including some that appeared to be child pornography, according to the FBI affidavit. One video allegedly shows Gardner entering the bathroom and turning off the camera. Investigators also found images of an adult woman secretly filmed entering and exiting a bathtub, and identified her as Gardner's ex-girlfriend. That woman as well as the gym's owner, Candi Workman, told investigators the images appeared to come from Jump'In Gymnastics' facility in Purvis, Mississippi, which has since been closed. SafeSport has long touted that it can deliver sanctions in cases where criminal charges are not pursued as key to its mission. However, Gardner's ability to land a job in health care illustrates the limits of that power: It can ban people from sports but that sanction is not guaranteed to reach the general public. While not commenting about Gardner's case directly, it said in a statement provided to AP that a number of issues factor into why cases can take so long to close, including the 8,000 reports it receives a year with only around 30 full-time investigators. It has revamped some procedures, it said, in an attempt to become more efficient. 'While the Center is able and often does cooperate in law enforcement investigations,' it said, 'law enforcement is not required to share information, updates, or even confirm an investigation is ongoing.' USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung called the center's task 'really tough, difficult to navigate.' 'I would like to see more consistency with their outcomes and sanctions,' Leung said. 'I would like to see more standardization on things. I would like to see more communication, more transparency from their side.' As the investigation proceeded, Gardner said on his Facebook page he had landed a new job in May 2024 as a surgical technologist at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center. It's a role that calls for positioning patients on the operating room table, and assisting with procedures and post-surgery care. Asked about Gardner's employment, hospital spokesman Todd Mizener told the AP: 'The only information I can provide is that he is no longer' at the hospital. Meanwhile, the case lingers, leaving lives in limbo more than three years after the SafeSport Center and police first learned of it. 'SafeSport is now part of a larger problem rather than a solution, if it was ever a solution,' said attorney Silvey. 'The most fundamental professional task such as coordination with local or federal law enforcement gets botched on a daily basis, hundreds of times a year now.'
CNN
6 hours ago
- CNN
Years after abuse reports, ex-coach at renowned US gymnastics academy is arrested by FBI
Federal agencies Olympics CrimeFacebookTweetLink Follow The US gymnastics world was only just recovering from a devastating sexual abuse scandal when a promising young coach moved from Mississippi to Iowa to take a job in 2018 at an elite academy known for training Olympic champions. Liang 'Chow' Qiao, the owner of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, thought highly enough of his new hire, Sean Gardner, to put him in charge of the club's premier junior event and to coach some of its most promising girls. But four years later, Gardner was gone from Chow's with little notice. USA Gymnastics, the organization rocked by the Larry Nassar sex-abuse crisis that led to the creation of the US Center for SafeSport, had been informed by the watchdog group that Gardner was suspended from all contact with gymnasts. The reason for Gardner's removal wasn't disclosed. But court records obtained exclusively by The Associated Press show the coach was accused of sexually abusing at least three young gymnasts at Chow's and secretly recording others undressing in a gym bathroom at his prior job in Mississippi. Last week, more than three years after being suspended from coaching, the FBI arrested Gardner, 38, on a federal child pornography charge. But his disciplinary case has still not been resolved by SafeSport, which handles sex-abuse cases in Olympic sports. In cases like Gardner's, the public can be in the dark for years while SafeSport investigates and sanctions coaches. SafeSport requires that allegations be reported to police to ensure abusers don't run unchecked outside of sports, but critics say the system is a slow, murky process. 'From an outward operational view, it seems that if SafeSport is involved in any way, the situation turns glow-in-the-dark toxic,' said attorney Steve Silvey, a longtime SafeSport critic who has represented people in cases involving the center. While acknowledging there can be delays as its investigations unfold, SafeSport defended its temporary suspensions in a statement as 'a unique and valuable intervention' when there are concerns of a risk to others. Nevertheless, in 2024, Gardner was able to land a job helping care for surgical patients at an Iowa hospital – two years after the abuse allegations against him were reported to SafeSport and the police. And it was not until late May that West Des Moines police executed a search warrant at his home, eventually leading to the recovery of a trove of photos and videos on his computer and cellphone of nude young girls, court records show. Authorities in Iowa sealed the court documents after the AP asked about the investigation earlier this month, before details of the federal charge were made public Friday. Gardner, Qiao and Gardner's former employer in Mississippi did not respond to AP requests for comment. Chow's Gymnastics is best known as the academy where US gymnasts Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas trained before becoming gold medalists at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Qiao opened the gym in 1998 after starring on the Chinese national team and moving to the United States to coach at the University of Iowa. The gym became a draw for top youth gymnasts, with some families moving to Iowa to train there. Gardner moved to Iowa in September 2018, jumping at the opportunity to coach under Qiao. 'This is the job that I've always wanted. Chow is really someone I have looked up to since I've been coaching,' Gardner told the ABC affiliate WOI-TV in 2019. 'And you can tell when you step foot in the gym, just even from coaching the girls, the culture that he's built. It's amazing. It's beautiful.' A year later, Gardner was promoted to director of Chow's Winter Classic, an annual meet that draws more than 1,000 gymnasts to Iowa. He also coached a junior Olympics team during his four-year tenure at Chow's. Several of his students earned college gymnastics scholarships, but Gardner said he had bigger goals. 'You want to leave a thumbprint on their life, so when they go off hopefully to school, to bigger and better things, that they remember Chow's as family,' he said in a 2020 interview with WOI-TV. Gardner is accused of abusing his position at Chow's and his former job at Jump'In Gymnastics in Mississippi to prey on girls under his tutelage, according to a nine-page FBI affidavit released Friday that summarizes the allegations against him. A girl reported to SafeSport in March 2022 that Gardner used 'inappropriate spotting techniques' in which he would put his hands between her legs and touch her vagina, the affidavit said. It said she alleged Gardner would ask girls if they were sexually active and call them 'idiots, sluts, and whores.' She said this behavior began after his hiring in 2018 and continued until she left the gym in 2020 and provided the names of six other potential victims. SafeSport suspended Gardner in July 2022 – four months after the girl's report – a provisional step it can take in severe cases with 'sufficient evidentiary support' as investigations proceed. A month after that, the center received a report from another girl alleging additional 'sexual contact and physical abuse,' including that Gardner similarly fondled her during workouts, the FBI affidavit said. The girl said that he once dragged her across the carpet so hard that it burned her buttocks, the affidavit said. SafeSport shared the reports with West Des Moines police, in line with its policy requiring adults who interact with youth athletes to disclose potential criminal cases to law enforcement. While SafeSport's suspension took Gardner out of gymnastics, the criminal investigation quickly hit a roadblock. Police records show a detective told SafeSport to urge the alleged victims to file criminal complaints, but only one of their mothers contacted police in 2022. That woman said her daughter did not want to pursue criminal charges, and police suspended the investigation. Victims of abuse are often reluctant to cooperate with police, said Ken Lang, a retired detective and associate professor of criminal justice at Milligan University. 'In this case you have the prestige of this facility,' he said. 'Do they want to associate their name with that, in that way, when their aspirations were to succeed in gymnastics?' Police suspended the investigation, even as Gardner was on probation for his second-offense of driving while intoxicated. The case stayed dormant until April 2024 when another former Chow's student came forward to the West Des Moines Police Department to report abuse allegations, according to a now-sealed affidavit signed by police detective Jeff Lyon. The AP is not identifying the student in line with its policy of not naming victims of alleged sexual abuse. The now 18-year-old told police she began taking lessons from Gardner when she was 11 or 12 in 2019, initially seeing him as a 'father figure' who tried to help her get through her parents' divorce. He told her she could tell him 'anything,' the affidavit said. When she moved in 2021, she told police, he gave her a hug and said she could text and follow him on Instagram and other social media sites, where he went by the nickname 'Coach Seanie,' because gym policy barring such contact no longer applied. According to a summary of her statement provided in Lyon's affidavit, she said Gardner fondled her during exercises, repeatedly touching her vagina; rubbed her back and butt and discussed his sex life; and made her do inappropriate stretches that exposed her privates. She told police she suspected he used his cellphone to film her in that position. Reached by the AP, the teen's mother declined comment. The mother told police she was interested in a monetary settlement with Chow's because the gym 'had been made aware of the complaints and they did nothing to stop them,' according to Lyon's affidavit. The gym didn't return AP messages seeking comment. It took 16 months after the teen's 2024 report for the FBI to arrest Gardner, who made an initial court appearance in Des Moines on Friday on a charge of producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which can carry up to 30 years in prison. A public defender assigned to represent him didn't return AP messages seeking comment. It's unclear why the case took so long to investigate and also when the FBI, which had to pay $138 million to Nassar's victims for botching that investigation, got involved in the case. Among evidence seized by investigators in late May were a cellphone, laptop and a desktop computer along with handwritten notes between Gardner and his former pupils, according to the sealed court documents. They found images of girls, approximately 6 to 14 years in age, who were nude, using the toilet or changing into leotards, those documents show. Those images appear to have come from a hidden camera in a restroom. They also uncovered 50 video files and 400 photos, including some that appeared to be child pornography, according to the FBI affidavit. One video allegedly shows Gardner entering the bathroom and turning off the camera. Investigators also found images of an adult woman secretly filmed entering and exiting a bathtub, and identified her as Gardner's ex-girlfriend. That woman as well as the gym's owner, Candi Workman, told investigators the images appeared to come from Jump'In Gymnastics' facility in Purvis, Mississippi, which has since been closed. SafeSport has long touted that it can deliver sanctions in cases where criminal charges are not pursued as key to its mission. However, Gardner's ability to land a job in health care illustrates the limits of that power: It can ban people from sports but that sanction is not guaranteed to reach the general public. While not commenting about Gardner's case directly, it said in a statement provided to AP that a number of issues factor into why cases can take so long to close, including the 8,000 reports it receives a year with only around 30 full-time investigators. It has revamped some procedures, it said, in an attempt to become more efficient. 'While the Center is able and often does cooperate in law enforcement investigations,' it said, 'law enforcement is not required to share information, updates, or even confirm an investigation is ongoing.' USA Gymnastics President Li Li Leung called the center's task 'really tough, difficult to navigate.' 'I would like to see more consistency with their outcomes and sanctions,' Leung said. 'I would like to see more standardization on things. I would like to see more communication, more transparency from their side.' As the investigation proceeded, Gardner said on his Facebook page he had landed a new job in May 2024 as a surgical technologist at MercyOne West Des Moines Medical Center. It's a role that calls for positioning patients on the operating room table, and assisting with procedures and post-surgery care. Asked about Gardner's employment, hospital spokesman Todd Mizener told the AP: 'The only information I can provide is that he is no longer' at the hospital. Meanwhile, the case lingers, leaving lives in limbo more than three years after the SafeSport Center and police first learned of it. 'SafeSport is now part of a larger problem rather than a solution, if it was ever a solution,' said attorney Silvey. 'The most fundamental professional task such as coordination with local or federal law enforcement gets botched on a daily basis, hundreds of times a year now.'
