Olympic gold medalist speaks out about how top UK swim coach's regime left her 'broken'
Left: Rūta Meilutytė and Right: Jon Rudd/ Image: Instagram/Linkedin
Olympic gold medalist
Rūta Meilutytė
has revealed to
BBC Panorama
how she was emotionally and mentally shattered by the harsh coaching methods of
Jon Rudd
, a highly regarded figure in British swimming. Meilutytė, who made history at the 2012 London Olympics as the youngest swimmer to win gold in the 100m breaststroke, described Rudd's focus on strict dieting and body image as a key factor in the eating disorder and depression that nearly broke her.
Her experience is just one of many in the wake of Rudd's 28-year tenure as head coach of
Plymouth Leander
, where multiple swimmers have come forward to share stories of bullying, toxic training environments, and a controlling food culture.
The Coach's legacy and allegations
Jon Rudd, who coached at Plymouth Leander from 1989 to 2017, was instrumental in building the club's reputation for producing Olympic champions. However, according to 12 former swimmers, the coaching regime under Rudd was far from nurturing.
These swimmers have accused Rudd of bullying and verbal abuse, contributing to severe mental health struggles. One of the most harrowing testimonies came from Meilutytė herself, who recalled incidents where Rudd made cruel comments about her weight, even laughing when she confided in him about making herself sick after meals to control her weight.
"Well, at least you get the calories out," he allegedly said.
Meilutytė, now 28, reflected on how Rudd's regime 'made me for a while and then it broke me.'
She explained that his comments, including telling her at the age of 16 that her "ass was fat," left lasting scars. Despite these harmful experiences, she acknowledged that Rudd did attempt to offer help once he realized the impact of his words, though the damage was already done.
Swim England
's response and failures
The BBC investigation uncovered that Swim England, the governing body for swimming, failed to take action despite a 2012 investigation that concluded Rudd should be suspended for four months, after hearing from 17 witnesses.
The investigation had been kept secret, only coming to light after a tip-off in 2023. Swim England's current CEO, Andy Salmon, expressed deep regret for the oversight, admitting that he did not understand why Rudd had not been suspended.
He said, "I am deeply, deeply sorry for any harm caused by the failure to act."
Rudd's reputation continued to grow after leaving Plymouth Leander, with him taking up roles including Swim Ireland's Director of Performance Swimming. He is currently slated to become the high-performance director of Saudi Arabia's
Olympic swimming
team.
Rudd did not respond to the BBC's requests for comment.
The wider impact and other allegations
Meilutytė's story is not unique. Olympic bronze medalist Cassie Patten shared with the BBC how Rudd pressured her to train with a shoulder injury, a decision she believes ultimately ended her career. Commonwealth Youth gold medalist Phoebe Lenderyou also revealed that Rudd's regime worsened her struggle with an eating disorder.
The allegations against Rudd were part of a broader pattern of mistreatment at Plymouth Leander, including the case of swimmer Antony James, who represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics but was later convicted of sexually abusing two young girls.
Some sources suggest that Rudd should have been aware of James's inappropriate behavior, given his long tenure as James's coach.
Swim England is now reviewing over 1,500 safeguarding cases after the failures exposed in this investigation. The governing body is also conducting a broader inquiry into all aquatic sports in the wake of Panorama's findings, with a focus on the toxic culture that has plagued British swimming for years.
Institutional failures and accountability
Plymouth Leander has since distanced itself from Rudd, stating that the club has undergone significant changes in its safeguarding practices. They emphasized that Rudd's employer, Plymouth College, was responsible for overseeing his actions. The college, now under different ownership, also expressed deep concern over the testimonies shared by former swimmers, terminating its partnership with the club in 2024.
Meanwhile, another investigation by Panorama found ongoing allegations of bullying at the Royal Wolverhampton School Swimming Club, where coach David Painter was accused of forcing swimmers to prioritize training over their academic commitments. Despite complaints from parents, Swim England took no formal action, asking the school to resolve the issues independently. Painter, who left to coach in Canada, denied all allegations, calling them "untrue" and defamatory.
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