Gaslighting: Maddie Groves' damning claims which have rocked Australian swimming

An Olympic medallist has made damning claims of issues including gaslighting in Australian swimming, saying she hopes it will be a lesson to "misogynistic perverts". 

Dual Olympic silver medallist Maddie Groves has sensationally quit this weekend’s Australian swim trials stating “let this be a lesson to all misogynistic perverts in sport and their boot lickers”.

Groves, who won two silver medals at the 2016 Rio Olympics, has repeatedly claimed a sexist and “misogynistic” culture exists in the sport via her social media accounts.

In her latest post following her withdrawal from the Australian Olympic swim team trials in Adelaide this weekend she alleges she had been poorly treated by officials.

“You can no longer exploit young women and girls, body shame or medically gaslight them and then expect them to represent you so you can earn your annual bonus. Time’s UP” Groves wrote on Twitter referencing her withdrawal from the Olympic trials in Adelaide.

The Queenslander, who has endometriosis and adenomyosis, reposted her tweet to Instagram with the words; “Putting this on the feed for emphasis. Make them pervs quake in fear from the number of people supporting a statement that threatens their existence.”

Maddie Groves Instagram post 1

Maddie Groves Instagram post 2

Maddie Groves tweets

On November 30 last year Groves detailed she had a made a complaint about a “person that works at swimming making me feel uncomfortable the way they stare at me in my togs”.

Groves alleged the perpetrator had been promoted.

She followed up her tweet on December 1 saying; “Woah guys this may have worked. Next time you have a weirdo stare at your tits and your complaints falls on deaf ears, try tweeting about it.

“I didn’t even say where they worked so good on that workplace for immediately knowing it’s their shitness. Did they recognise my complain because they already had it on file”.

In her first social media post announcing her withdrawal from the Olympic trials on Wednesday night Groves took a different tack, saying she would race again later in the year.

“I’m so grateful to feel so supported in this decision,” she wrote.

“I feel very relieved and I’m looking forward to racing at some other competitions later in the year (yeah sorry/not sorry, you haven’t got rid of me just yet!)

“I’m so excited to watch everyone at trials and to see who will be representing Australia in Tokyo — whatever happens I genuinely think this will be one of the fastest Australian Swim Teams ever and I encourage everyone to get on the bandwagon early.”

The Australian swimming trials begin on Saturday in Adelaide.

Originally published as Gaslighting: Maddie Groves' damning claims which have rocked Australian swimming