Shocking allegations by olympic gold medallist and others: Bullying, toxic culture...

An investigation has brought to light significant allegations of bullying, the creation of toxic training environments, and failures in safeguarding practices within the sport of swimming in the UK. The findings primarily focus on the tenure of highly successful coach Jon Rudd at a prominent former club, Plymouth Leander, but also include concerns at another leading institution. Multiple former swimmers who trained under Rudd have come forward, detailing harmful experiences they state they endured.

Among those speaking out is Olympic gold medallist and world record-breaking swimmer Rūta Meilutytė. She has alleged that she was left feeling "broken" by Rudd's regime, specifically citing that his significant focus on weighing and swimmers' diets contributed to her own struggles with an eating disorder and depression. Meilutytė recounted instances where Rudd allegedly made cutting comments about her weight, including reportedly laughing when she confided in him about making herself sick after meals to lose weight and allegedly telling her "Your a.. is fat" shortly before a major competition when she was 16. Meilutytė, who was one of Plymouth Leander's most successful swimmers, states that Rudd's regime ultimately "broke her" leading her to leave the club in 2017.

Bullying, toxic training environment...

In total, 12 former swimmers who trained under Rudd at Plymouth Leander have shared accounts of their experiences, alleging a culture of bullying, a toxic training environment, and controlling practices regarding food. Other former elite swimmers have also detailed specific harms they claim resulted from Rudd's coaching; Olympic bronze medallist Cassie Patten alleged that Rudd made her train with an injured shoulder, a situation she states ultimately ended her career in 2011.

Commonwealth Youth gold medallist Phoebe Lenderyou has also alleged that Rudd's regime aggravated her eating disorder. Jon Rudd (middle one in the photo above), who was Head Coach at Plymouth Leander and had safeguarding responsibilities, has reportedly not responded to the recent investigation's findings and is expected to take on a new role with Saudi Arabia's Olympic swimming team.

The investigation also raised serious questions about the sport's governing body, Swim England. It revealed that Swim England reportedly failed to take action following a confidential investigation in 2012. That past investigation, which gathered evidence from 17 witnesses concerning Jon Rudd's conduct, concluded that Rudd should be suspended for four months. Swim England's current chief executive, Andy Salmon, has acknowledged the failure to act on the 2012 report, stating he does not know why action wasn't taken and expressing deep apologies to the swimmers harmed by the governing body's failings. The 2012 report reportedly remained secret until a tip-off in 2023 brought it to light, prompting Swim England to review the case. It was also noted that the original investigation recommended suspending Rudd's assistant coach, who later worked for Swim England before leaving in 2023.

Adding a disturbing layer to the historical context at Plymouth Leander, former swimmer Antony James was convicted and jailed for 21 years in February for raping two girls he met at the club. Allegations from former trainers and a former girlfriend of James suggest some believed Rudd should have known about James's alleged interest in younger girls, given his known behaviour and status as the club's "golden boy."

Culture of fear

Institutional responses have been issued by parties associated with Plymouth Leander. The club stated it is deeply concerned by the allegations and maintains the club is now fundamentally different, having reviewed its safeguarding policies. They also placed responsibility for Rudd's oversight on Plymouth College, where he was reportedly employed and which had a partnership with the club. Plymouth College stated the club was responsible for safeguarding and expressed deep concern over the swimmers' testimonies, confirming the partnership has ended and they now run their own swimming program.

The historical failure in the Rudd case has prompted Swim England to announce a review of 1,500 safeguarding cases handled between 2002 and 2022. A previous report commissioned by Swim England in 2024 found a "culture of fear" within the sport.

The investigation also revealed allegations of a bullying culture more recently at Royal Wolverhampton School Swimming Club, another leading institution. Parents of 11 swimmers reportedly made complaints against the head coach at the time, David Painter. One former swimmer alleged she was forced to choose between her education and swimming, being expected to train on exam mornings, leading to panic attacks and her leaving the sport. Swim England reportedly did not contact parents despite a welfare officer reporting concerns. The school stated complaints are confidential and investigated appropriately. Painter, who has since left, denied the allegations, calling them untrue and defamatory.

The findings from the investigation into both Plymouth Leander and Royal Wolverhampton School highlight systemic issues and a history of alleged misconduct and safeguarding failures within UK swimming, prompting widespread calls for change.