'I was screaming and begging him to stop': Former gymnast recalls training horror which ended Olympic dream
Video report by ITV News Correspondent John Ray
A former gymnast has claimed a coach verbally abused her after she had snapped her foot in training, suffered taunts about her weight and was forced to wrap herself in clingfilm.
Lamara Robb suffered in silence while training as she had set her heart on a medal at the Beijing games of 2008 - but her dream died when she broke her foot in training.
The former gymnast told ITV News: "They forced me to train in clingfilm and wrapped me up head-to-toe in sweats like it was -10C outside.
"It was the height of summer."
She recalled the moment she broke her foot - and a coach allegedly accused her of faking despite being in horrific pain.
"I heard it snap. I instantly landed and I screamed in pain. The coach at the time said: 'If you want to fake it, I'll make you not fake it', went and got a bucket of ice and forced my foot into this bucket of ice while I was screaming and begging him to stop."
Lamara was coached at Heathrow Gymnastics Club in west London.
ITV News knows of 10 other gymnasts who claim they were abused at the same club - but they deny all the allegations.
The sports governing body has ordered an inquiry - as a start, Lamara would like an apology.
In a statement, Heathrow Gymnastics Club say they are "greatly saddened" by the allegations.
They said: "We take great pride in the fact that we have over the years introduced many young people to gymnastics and have been privileged to share their journey with them.
"We never forget the commitment that parents and very often siblings as well as our gymnasts make and in return we put their well being as our priority.
"We think that it is important that all allegations that have been made in recent days including those directed at HGC are carefully and properly investigated. That is essential not just for our sport, our coaching staff, members of HGC and their families but also for the complainants themselves.
"It is for that reason that The Chairman of Trustees for HGC wrote this week to British Gymnastics requesting that it extends the Terms of Reference of Jane Mulcahy QC, who has been appointed by British Gymnastics, to include the allegations directed against HGC as part of her remit so that they can be fully and independently investigated.
"We will of course assist with an independent review in every way that we can. In the meantime we have been touched by the many messages of support and positive recollections by both current and former members of their time with us. "
Reporting on allegations of abuse within British gymnastics: