Using the word “beautiful” to describe a performance of young female gymnasts has cost a coach and former Olympian gymnast his job after a Sydney council alleged his comments “sexually objectified” the athletes.
The 65-year-old former Commonwealth Games medal winner and coach Lindsay Nylund described his sacking as absurd and disgraceful and is now calling for his job back.
He is also calling for a public apology from the council saying the allegations for a person in his role were a “kiss of death for your professional reputation and character.”
Mr. Nyland won bronze and silver for Australia at the 1978 Edmonton Commonwealth Games and competed at the 1980 Moscow Olympics.
Before being sacked in May, Mr. Nylund worked as a high-performance coach at the Five Dock Leisure Centre (FDLC) which operates under the City of Canada Bay Council in Sydney’s inner-west.
Overseeing the wider gymnastics program, he coached six gymnasts aged between 12 and 16.
The council levied four allegations in their termination notice against the coach, with the sexual objectification allegation ultimately leading to his dismissal, according to documents obtained by The Australian newspaper.
The allegations were from a picture Mr. Nylund sent of the team of four girls to parents and council staff in February.
“Hi all … Our beautiful FDLC Level 8 Women’s Artistic Gymnasts,” he wrote. “All achieved a top six apparatus placing in their respective divisions at the first state trial competition of the year … The next state trial is in two weeks—onwards and upwards!”
Leisure Director Russell Wolfe replied to the email the following day congratulating everyone involved.
The documents obtained further reveal the allegations were focused on the picture and the use of the word “beautiful.”
The council alleged the use of the word “sexually objectifies the athletes” and breaches Sport Integrity Australia’s Child Safe Practice.
The allegations led to Mr. Nylund’s termination three months after he sent the picture.
With a failure so far to win an appeal, the coach is taking the case to the NSW Industrial Relations Commission.
“The word beautiful is frequently used to describe gymnasts and their performances on Gymnastics Australia and Gymnastics NSW social media pages,” said Mr Nylund. “The context of the email and photos was clearly one of pride in the achievement of the gymnasts at the competition.”
Mr. Nylund also told the council that the word “beautiful” referred to the team’s “excellent performances demonstrating skill and artistry in sport, and to celebrate a proud moment for the gymnasts, parents, and council staff who were sent the email.”
The word “beautiful” has also been used by both Gymnastics NSW and the council’s Five Dock Leisure Centre in similar pictures to describe the child gymnasts on social media.
The Australian newspaper said they have seen consent forms signed by parents to give the council permission to use their children in promotional material.
Other allegations against Mr. Nyland claimed that he breached Child Safe Practice guidelines after transporting athletes without parental consent and attending a social event at a local club.
Mr. Nyland has rejected the claims and provided correspondence with the council showing he had received verbal permission from parents via instructions from a colleague.
He also showed the council evidence that he contacted a Gymnastics Australia child safety officer before dinner with parents and athletes.
The City of Canada Bay said it did not comment on staffing matters.
“Additionally, as this matter is subject to legal proceedings the City of Canada Bay is unable to provide comment and will continue to treat all information as confidential,” the city said in an email to The Epoch Times.
