British Gymnastics chief executive Jane Allen to step down

British Gymnastics chief executive Jane Allen will retire in December amid an investigation into the alleged abuse and mistreatment of gymnasts throughout the sport.

In July of this year a series of accounts emerged of athletes stating that they had suffered mistreatment.

That included prominent figures such as Amy Tinkler, Nile Wilson, and Becky and Ellie Downie.

An independent review is taking place into the allegations, chaired by Anne Whyte QC.

British Gymnastics confirmed Allen would step down in an announcement made on Wednesday afternoon, and an interim chief executive is due to be announced in due course.

Allen has been at the organisation for over 10 years, joining in 2010.

Jane Allen said in a statement: “The last few months have been extremely difficult, but I will look back on my time with British Gymnastics with great pride for the growth and success we have sustained over a ten-year period. I would like to thank everyone involved in the sport for the work they do to help our members succeed both at an elite and grassroots level.

"The Whyte Review will be an important step forward for gymnastics and other sports struggling to deal effectively with these issues. It is vital that this happens in a fair and transparent manner for all parties and I pledge my support to helping the sport to do that.”

Mike Darcey, Chair of British Gymnastics, said: “The whole Board would like to thank Jane for her dedicated service to the sport. We had originally agreed with Jane that she would retire following the Tokyo Olympic Games in the summer of 2020, but that was extended to help British Gymnastics through the initial impact of Coronavirus and then the subsequent worrying news about abuse claims.

"Prior to her departure, Jane will be working with our legal team on our initial submission to the Whyte review.”