Gymnast voices abuse inquiry against elite US coach

An Iowa gymnast describes abuse by a now-arrested coach as investigations widen from Iowa to Mississippi and beyond.

Gymnast voices abuse inquiry against elite US coach

Finley Weldon, 18, describes the harm she says her former coach caused at Chow’s Gymnastics in West Des Moines. Weldon, who is starting at Iowa State University, says she is among the few who survived the abuse and stayed in gymnastics. Gardner, 38, was arrested on a federal charge of producing visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, connected to a hidden camera found at a Mississippi gym where he once worked. The FBI says he targeted children and the investigation spans Iowa, Mississippi, and Louisiana dating back to 2004. A former Chow’s gymnast first reported abuse to SafeSport in March 2022, which led to a suspension that year. West Des Moines police said the 2022 case was closed after the accuser decided not to pursue charges, but new complaints prompted renewed action in 2024 and investigators say more charges could follow.

Weldon began private training with Gardner when she was 11. She says his affection masked control and that the abuse began to escalate in 2019 with inappropriate touching and forced stretches exposing her. She continued training in other states and eventually earned elite status and a Division 1 spot. Weldon added she came forward in April 2024 at age 16 to prevent others from suffering the same harm, and to honor the gymnasts who spoke out before her, including Olympians Aly Raisman. She credits police and investigators for staying the course, even as the process stretched over years.

The case underscores how safeguarding young athletes rests on multiple institutions. It highlights the role of SafeSport as a gatekeeper and the challenges of cross-jurisdictional investigations that involve state police, federal authorities, and a private watchdog. Survivors’ voices like Weldon’s can accelerate accountability, but they also confront a lengthy, painstaking process that can feel slow to those who seek closure. The episode adds to a broader reckoning in elite gymnastics about trust, supervision, and the responsibility of training programs to police themselves without silencing victims.

Highlights

This case tests whether youth sport can turn harm into reform without retraumatizing those who come forward.