By Tony Burns
Sports Editor
According to an article on ESPN.com, USA Gymnastics announced Thursday that it will cut ties with the Karolyi Ranch, a longtime training ground for the country's elite gymnasts and also a site where former national medical coordinator Larry Nassar sexually assaulted gymnasts.
"It has been my intent to terminate this agreement since I began as president and CEO (of USA Gymnastics) in December," said Kerry Perry, who listened to women deliver impact statements during a sentencing hearing for Nassar in Lansing, Michigan. "Our most important priority is our athletes, and their training environment must reflect this. We are committed to a culture that empowers and supports our athletes.
"We have canceled next week's training camp for the U.S. women's national team. We are exploring alternative sites to host training activities and camps until a permanent location is determined. We thank all those in the gymnastics community assisting in these efforts."
Nine-year-old Anabelle Dewey, a fourth grader at Hugh Goodwin in El Dorado, was one of 45 girls named to the TOPS A National Team. That group of girls trained with the national staff at the National Olympic Training Center near Houston from Nov. 28 through Dec. 2. Dewey trains daily at the North East Texas Elite Gymnastics in Texarkana.
Will USA Gymnastics’ decision to sever its relationship with the Karolyi Ranch impact Dewey’s training?
“It will not impact her at all, right now,” said Anabelle’s mother, Christy Dewey.
“She will just continue to train for HOPES and upcoming meets at her gym. She already had her A Team TOPS Camp back in November-December. For the future, though, I don’t know. We need a lot more information.”
In recent days, Simone Biles, a gold medalist from the 2016 Rio Olympics who also said Nassar abused her at the Karolyi Ranch, questioned why she should have to return there to train.
"It is impossibly difficult to relive these experiences and it breaks my heart even more to think that as I work towards my dream of competing in Tokyo 2020, I will have to continually return to the same training facility where I was abused," Biles wrote in the ESPN.com article.
The disgraced doctor pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal sexual conduct in November. More than 150 women have accused him of assault, including several former prominent members of the USA Gymnastics program.