To still feel sad and angry about this? (May be triggering).

[Trauma010]

I was an elite gymnast in the 90's. A lot went on which was abusive. Constant weighing and shouted at if weight had been put on. Told to eat less and encouraged to lose a bit of weight before competitions (I was 9) and 24 kilos. At home I would run up and down the stairs to lose weight and weigh myself continuously on the kitchen scales.
But it's the forced stretching that still plays on my mind. As a young kid I was sat on and my legs were forced back. Nobody would stop if we told them to do so. Instead crying was encouraged. Older gymnasts were encouraged to stretch us and before a competition, one did it to me so hard to impress a guy friend of hers. They were enjoying my tears and discomfort.
I reported it all when they had all the reviews but mine although considered, was not really taken seriously as was so long ago. I have knee problems now and it's a constant reminder of my body being forced into these unnatural positions especially as I was never a gymnast who was naturally flexible. I keep getting moments of feeling really angry. Aibu to still be letting this get to me?

Aww.. I'm so sorry this happened to you OP :( You have every right to feel angry.

Sadly, competitive sport remains, in some clubs, very bullying. My DD's are swimmers and the coach shouts, swears, humiliates and puts the swimmers he dislikes, down a lot. Often coach makes the kids cry (though they are then blamed for not being 'tough' and mocked for crying). We will be leaving the club soon due to this. The club finds it hard to retain swimmers or recruit new ones (and wonders why!?) Ellesmere college has recently been under fire for bullying.

I think that because of attitudes such as 'that's how it's always been' and bullying disguised as 'building resilience and character', bullying and abusive behaviours continue in sport. Parents seeing winning at all costs as more important than their children's wellbeing also adds to the problem, as does the complete apathy of any sporting body to do anything about it.

Welfare officers at youth sports clubs are often just parents who buy into the bullying programme, so are not of much use.

To change these cultures there needs to be proper monitoring of clubs, accountability, and children and young people need to know they can report stuff, who to report to, and that they'll be listened to (not picked on more). If a teacher treated kids the way many sports coaches do, they'd be struck off. We need that same culture of zero tolerance for mistreating kids, to be instilled in sports.

Were your parents aware of what was going on? Surely they questioned the running up & down the stairs, lack of weight & obsessive behaviour at such a young age? I'm not dismissing the blame doesn't lay within competitive sports but surely your parents are also to blame for allowing it.

YANBU to still feel angry or upset (trauma) towards this part of your life.

I think they just believed it was part of the sacrifice needed to achieve at this level.
I hid the running up the stairs and weighing myself but I started to refuse to eat certain food which they knew about.

No OP YANBU. I think your feelings are shared by many, if not most, gymnasts (and other athletes) who experienced the same treatment.

I still feel very upset about trauma from my childhood (something completely different to yours!) and I have no idea really how to let it go. I'm guessing there must be support groups for ex gymnasts on FB and the like, would it help to connect with others going through the same?

Yes, maybe I will look into that.
Just feel embarrassed to still feel this way as it was a long time ago now.