Latest news with #PlymouthLeander
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Olympic gold medalist speaks out about how top UK swim coach's regime left her 'broken'
Left: Rūta Meilutytė and Right: Jon Rudd/ Image: Instagram/Linkedin Olympic gold medalist Rūta Meilutytė has revealed to BBC Panorama how she was emotionally and mentally shattered by the harsh coaching methods of Jon Rudd , a highly regarded figure in British swimming. Meilutytė, who made history at the 2012 London Olympics as the youngest swimmer to win gold in the 100m breaststroke, described Rudd's focus on strict dieting and body image as a key factor in the eating disorder and depression that nearly broke her. Her experience is just one of many in the wake of Rudd's 28-year tenure as head coach of Plymouth Leander , where multiple swimmers have come forward to share stories of bullying, toxic training environments, and a controlling food culture. The Coach's legacy and allegations Jon Rudd, who coached at Plymouth Leander from 1989 to 2017, was instrumental in building the club's reputation for producing Olympic champions. However, according to 12 former swimmers, the coaching regime under Rudd was far from nurturing. These swimmers have accused Rudd of bullying and verbal abuse, contributing to severe mental health struggles. One of the most harrowing testimonies came from Meilutytė herself, who recalled incidents where Rudd made cruel comments about her weight, even laughing when she confided in him about making herself sick after meals to control her weight. "Well, at least you get the calories out," he allegedly said. Meilutytė, now 28, reflected on how Rudd's regime 'made me for a while and then it broke me.' She explained that his comments, including telling her at the age of 16 that her "ass was fat," left lasting scars. Despite these harmful experiences, she acknowledged that Rudd did attempt to offer help once he realized the impact of his words, though the damage was already done. Swim England 's response and failures The BBC investigation uncovered that Swim England, the governing body for swimming, failed to take action despite a 2012 investigation that concluded Rudd should be suspended for four months, after hearing from 17 witnesses. The investigation had been kept secret, only coming to light after a tip-off in 2023. Swim England's current CEO, Andy Salmon, expressed deep regret for the oversight, admitting that he did not understand why Rudd had not been suspended. He said, "I am deeply, deeply sorry for any harm caused by the failure to act." Rudd's reputation continued to grow after leaving Plymouth Leander, with him taking up roles including Swim Ireland's Director of Performance Swimming. He is currently slated to become the high-performance director of Saudi Arabia's Olympic swimming team. Rudd did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment. The wider impact and other allegations Meilutytė's story is not unique. Olympic bronze medalist Cassie Patten shared with the BBC how Rudd pressured her to train with a shoulder injury, a decision she believes ultimately ended her career. Commonwealth Youth gold medalist Phoebe Lenderyou also revealed that Rudd's regime worsened her struggle with an eating disorder. The allegations against Rudd were part of a broader pattern of mistreatment at Plymouth Leander, including the case of swimmer Antony James, who represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics but was later convicted of sexually abusing two young girls. Some sources suggest that Rudd should have been aware of James's inappropriate behavior, given his long tenure as James's coach. Swim England is now reviewing over 1,500 safeguarding cases after the failures exposed in this investigation. The governing body is also conducting a broader inquiry into all aquatic sports in the wake of Panorama's findings, with a focus on the toxic culture that has plagued British swimming for years. Institutional failures and accountability Plymouth Leander has since distanced itself from Rudd, stating that the club has undergone significant changes in its safeguarding practices. They emphasized that Rudd's employer, Plymouth College, was responsible for overseeing his actions. The college, now under different ownership, also expressed deep concern over the testimonies shared by former swimmers, terminating its partnership with the club in 2024. Meanwhile, another investigation by Panorama found ongoing allegations of bullying at the Royal Wolverhampton School Swimming Club, where coach David Painter was accused of forcing swimmers to prioritize training over their academic commitments. Despite complaints from parents, Swim England took no formal action, asking the school to resolve the issues independently. Painter, who left to coach in Canada, denied all allegations, calling them "untrue" and defamatory. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
Scottish Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Olympic swimmer reveals top coach left her ‘broken' as slew of athletes come forward against ‘toxic' regime
SHOCK CLAIMS Olympic swimmer reveals top coach left her 'broken' as slew of athletes come forward against 'toxic' regime AN Olympic swimmer has revealed a top UK coach left her "broken" by a "toxic" regime. Rūta Meilutytė - who won gold at London 2012 - said Jon Rudd's focus on diet contributed to her developing an eating disorder and depression. Advertisement 3 Dr Jon Rudd was head coach at Plymouth Leander for 28 years Credit: Getty 3 Ruta Meilutyte, 15, winning the gold medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke Final during the London 2012 Olympic games Credit: Getty 3 Meilutyte was hailed the club's biggest success Credit: Getty She is among 12 former swimmers to speak out against the alleged culture at Plymouth Leander swimming club, where Rudd coached from 1989 to 2017. Rudd had faced allegations of bullying and verbal abuse, however no action was taken by Swim England despite a confidential 2012 investigation saying he should be suspended, reports the BBC. The probe had heard evidence from 17 witnesses. The governing body's current chief Andy Salmon said he doesn't know why Rudd wasn't suspended, adding that he was "deeply, deeply sorry" to those impacted by the failings. Advertisement Rudd is set to become high performance director of Saudi Arabia's Olympic swimming team. The coach had established Plymouth Leander as a successful training ground for producing Olympic athletes. As well as coaching, he also had safeguarding responsibilities to ensure wellbeing. Meilutytė moved to the UK from Lithuania in 2010 to be coached by Rudd - and two years later, aged 15, became the youngest person to win the 100m breaststroke. Advertisement Speaking to the BBC's Panorama, the now 28-year-old claimed she confided in Rudd that she'd been making herself sick to lose weight, but he laughed and said: "Well, at least you get the calories out." She also alleged he told her her "ass was fat" immediately before a major competition when she was 16. Austrian biathlete Anna Gandler explains why she has had to stand down from the sport Despite being hailed as the club's biggest success, Meilutytė said the regime "made me for a while and then it broke me". She left the club in 2017 - the same year Rudd became Swim Ireland's director of performance swimming. Advertisement Other swimmers to make allegations against Rudd include Olympic bronze medallist Cassie Patten, who claims the coach made her train with an injured shoulder which eventually ended her career in 2011. And Commonwealth Youth gold medallist Phoebe Lenderyou claimed Rudd's regime aggravated her eating disorder. According to the investigation, Rudd's assistant coach, Lindsay Trimmings, should also have been suspended from Plymouth Leander. Salmon told the BBC: "Clearly the organisation failed to act on the independent recommendations made at the time. Advertisement "And I'm really sorry, on behalf of Swim England, for any suffering that that might have led to." Swim England is now reviewing 1,500 safeguarding cases carried out across England between 2002 and 2022. Plymouth Leander said it was "deeply concerned" by the allegations but assured the club is "fundamentally different" since Rudd was in charge. Plymouth College said its partnership with the club has been terminated. Advertisement The Sun has approached Swim England and Plymouth Leander for further comment. Do you know more? Email
The Irish Sun
19-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Olympic swimmer reveals top coach left her ‘broken' as slew of athletes come forward against ‘toxic' regime
AN Olympic swimmer has revealed a top UK coach left her "broken" by a "toxic" regime. Rūta Meilutytė - who won gold at London 2012 - said Jon Rudd's focus on diet contributed to her developing an eating disorder and depression. 3 Dr Jon Rudd was head coach at Plymouth Leander for 28 years Credit: Getty 3 Ruta Meilutyte, 15, winning the gold medal in the Women's 100m Breaststroke Final during the London 2012 Olympic games Credit: Getty 3 Meilutyte was hailed the club's biggest success Credit: Getty She is among 12 former swimmers to speak out against the alleged culture at Plymouth Leander swimming club, where Rudd coached from 1989 to 2017. Rudd had faced allegations of bullying and verbal abuse, however no action was taken by Swim England despite a confidential 2012 investigation saying he should be suspended, reports The probe had heard evidence from 17 witnesses. The governing body's current chief Andy Salmon said he doesn't know why Rudd wasn't suspended, adding that he was "deeply, deeply sorry" to those impacted by the failings. Rudd is set to become high performance director of Saudi Arabia's Olympic swimming team. The coach had established Plymouth Leander as a successful training ground for producing Olympic athletes. As well as coaching, he also had safeguarding responsibilities to ensure wellbeing. Meilutytė moved to the UK from Lithuania in 2010 to be coached by Rudd - and two years later, aged 15, became the youngest person to win the 100m breaststroke. Most read in Other Sports Speaking to the BBC 's Panorama, the now 28-year-old claimed she confided in Rudd that she'd been making herself sick to lose weight, but he laughed and said: "Well, at least you get the calories out." She also alleged he told her her "ass was fat" immediately before a major competition when she was 16. Austrian biathlete Anna Gandler explains why she has had to stand down from the sport Despite being hailed as the club's biggest success, Meilutytė said the regime "made me for a while and then it broke me". She left the club in 2017 - the same year Rudd became Swim Ireland's director of performance swimming. Other swimmers to make allegations against Rudd include Olympic bronze medallist Cassie Patten, who claims the coach made her train with an injured shoulder which eventually ended her career in 2011. And Commonwealth Youth gold medallist Phoebe Lenderyou claimed Rudd's regime aggravated her eating disorder. According to the investigation, Rudd's assistant coach, Lindsay Trimmings, should also have been suspended from Plymouth Leander. Salmon told the BBC: "Clearly the organisation failed to act on the independent recommendations made at the time. "And I'm really sorry, on behalf of Swim England , for any suffering that that might have led to." Swim England is now reviewing 1,500 safeguarding cases carried out across England between 2002 and 2022. Plymouth Leander said it was "deeply concerned" by the allegations but assured the club is "fundamentally different" since Rudd was in charge. Plymouth College said its partnership with the club has been terminated. Read more on the Irish Sun The Sun has approached Swim England and Plymouth Leander for further comment. Do you know more? Email
