Sex Abuse Claims At Gymnastics Training Ranch Under Investigation

NEW WAVERLY, TX — Just one day after USA Gymnastics announced it would terminate its contract with the Karolyi Ranch as its training headquarters for the women's Olympic and national teams, the Walker County Sheriff's office launched an investigation in the ranch where several claims of sex abuse have been made.

As the Larry Nassar sentencing hearing for criminal sexual abuse continues, the Walker County Sheriff's Office confirmed Friday it's investigating the ranch where USAG held so many training camps over the last four decades. More than 100 women and girls are testifying against Nassar at the marathon hearing in a Michigan courtroom.

After high-profile Olympic gold medalists Simone Biles and Aly Raisman, among many others, spoke out, the sport's national governing body deemed it would no longer hold its training camps at the Karolyi ranch.
Biles, Raisman and countless others claimed sexual abuse by former team doctor Larry Nassar — whose medical credentials were revoked after this ongoing media circus — and they claimed some of the abuse occurred at the ranch.

A training camp scheduled to begin Monday (Jan. 22) at the ranch was postponed. USA Gymnastics is currently seeking alternative training sites until a new permanent facility is found.

USA Gymnastics President and CEO Kerry Perry released a statement Thursday following the announcement of the federation's termination of its contract with Karolyi Ranch, which is located on the outskirts of New Waverly, a small town between Huntsville and Conroe, Texas.

"It has been my intent to terminate this agreement since I began as president and CEO in December," said Kerry Perry, USA Gymnastics President and CEO. "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."

This move comes come off the heels of 2016 Olympic star Simone Biles revealed that she was abused by Larry Nassar, and said she couldn't bear the thought of training again at Karolyi Ranch.

"It breaks my heart even more to think that as I work toward my dream of competing in Tokyo 2020, I will have to continually return to the same training facility where I was abused," Biles wrote on her social media accounts.

Famed gymnastics coaches Bela and Marta Karolyi, whose coaching prowess go back to their days coaching Nadia Comăneci, defected from Romania and created the ranch as a training facility in 1981. Comăneci was the first athlete in the sport to be awarded a perfect score during her gold medal run at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.

Last year's U.S. Women's Olympic Team has already been regarded as one of the best in history.

Image: Atmosphere at Karolyi Ranch on January 26, 2011 in Huntsville, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images for Hilton)