https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn4gmm2zv8no

I read the recent BBC piece about Olympic champion Rūta Meilutytė and her experience at Plymouth Leander under coach Jon Rudd. It stuck with me—not because the story was shocking (unfortunately, it wasn’t), but because we’re still here. Still watching federations fumble the bag when it comes to protecting athletes. Still dealing with the fallout from systems that value medals over mental health.

The fact that athletes like Rūta are only now feeling safe enough to speak out says everything. There’s still a deep culture of fear at the highest levels of sport. Coaches holding careers in their hands. Athletes terrified that saying the wrong thing could mean losing their shot. And the institutions? Too often, they side with the system. Not the athlete.

This isn’t just about one coach or one swimmer. It’s about how we still haven’t figured out how to protect the people at the heart of sport. We need to rethink the coaching model—fast. Because we’re putting athletes into pressure cookers without escape valves. And when the people they should be able to trust go quiet, or worse, back the coach instead… where are they supposed to turn?

This is exactly why Athlete Support Persons matter. This is why they’re necessary. Not just for game day logistics or sponsorship calls—but to be the one person in the room who’s not trying to get something from the athlete. Someone who’s just there to have their back, when it feels like no one else does.

Because if we don’t build that kind of support into sport now, we’ll keep reading stories like Rūta’s for another ten years. And honestly, that’s not good enough.

A.