Gold medallist ‘abused by team doctor’

In a forthcoming interview with 60 Minutes, Raisman, 23, tells the show’s Dr. Jon LaPook she was first treated by Nassar, who spent nearly three decades as an osteopath with the USA Gymnastics organisation, when she was 15 years old.

The gold medallist says many have asked why she and other accusers didn’t speak up right away.

“Why are we looking at why didn’t the girls speak up?” Raisman said in the sit-down, airing Sunday, according to the New York Post. “Why not look at what about the culture? What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?”

Raisman’s Fab Five teammate from the 2012 London games, McKayla Maroney, revealed her own horror story of alleged sexual abuse by Nassar, claiming he had given her a sleeping pill and she had woken up alone with him in his hotel room during the 2011 world championships in Tokyo.

Raisman spoke out in support of Maroney, 21, who posted her account online in October as part of the #MeToo campaign, in the wake of sexual allegations mounting against disgraced producer Harvey Weinstein.

“@McKaylaMaroney love you girls!!!!!!!” Raisman tweeted, in response to former teammate Jordyn Wieber’s message. “So sad and heartbreaking that this happened to you Mack. I’m here for you and I support you.”

Raisman hopes to transform the culture, particularly for young women.

“I am angry. I’m really upset because it’s been — I care a lot you know, when I see these young girls come up to me, and they ask for pictures or autographs, whatever it is, I just — I can’t — every time I look at them, every time I see them smiling, I just think — I want to create change so that they never, ever have to go through this,” Raisman said.

This isn’t the first time Raisman has spoke out against the disgraced doctor. In August, the decorated medallist blasted Nassar as a “monster” after he plead guilty to possession of child pornography.

Nassar awaits a separate trial on criminal sexual conduct charges and has pleaded not guilty. Over 125 women have sued him for alleged sexual assault. He is currently incarcerated in Michigan.

Ahead of Raisman’s interview, USA Gymnastics issued a statement to “60 Minutes” stating they have embraced a new “safe sport policy,” which would require “mandatory reporting” of any suspect sexual abuse.

“USA Gymnastics is very sorry that any athlete has been harmed,” the organisation noted, adding they have set standards to “prevent inappropriate interaction” between adults and athletes. They want to work with Raisman and all interested parties to “keep athletes safe.”

This article originally appeared in the New York Post