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Disclosures about abuses in the sporting arena are evolving into an “avalanche” following allegations of rape by an agent of the Olympic Sailing Federation Sofia Bekatorou.
One of the cases that came to light is hers. Marina Psychogiou, the former sailing champion who complained that she had also been the victim of sexual harassment by an EIO agent.
“Who to tell and what to do” mentions among others speaking on SKAI TV Monday morning. As she mentioned, her own incident happened in 1993 and in explaining the reasons why she did not speak to anyone at the time, she emphasized that if she did something like that her family would remove her from the boating zone. At the same time eHe pointed out that in the field of sport it would mean that he would fall further disadvantaged at the level of the group or the federation.
Ms. Psychogiou emphasized that “after 40 years in sailing, the injustices on the part of the system for both myself and my fellow athletes are innumerable and this is much less traumatic than others that have happened” and said that she shared her incident with some after many years when he had stopped fighting.
“Each and everyone because something similar can happen to a boy, as I said in my post when something like this happens he handles it in the most painless way for him and his loved ones” she added.
In detail, the publication of Marina Psychogiou on her Facebook account:
“I read Sophia’s testimony and no, I don’t fall out of the clouds. I’m not surprised by what you describe, they sound so familiar. There are many messages of support, but also many derogatory comments, the main one being the national authority of our sport, who seems to have a hard time believing it.
Such incidents happen all the time. Everyone copes with it the best they can. But nobody ever denounces it. Because even if they don’t drive her crazy, or that she loves them too, the least that will happen is that it will be to the chagrin of the coach, the superintendent or the federation. And you will feel ashamed in front of family, friends, social environment. So, for the sake mainly of her but also of her loved ones, she tries to handle it in the best way and painlessly as possible. The perpetrators continue relentlessly, and if they don’t sit down, or one of them stops sitting, they move on to the next.
In the spring of 1993 he was 20 years old. I had just won the national / qualifying round and I begged the federations to include me in the national team. I had just finished a meeting on the subject in NOTK, in the Faliro Delta, and I left to return home by bus. A member of the EIO Board of Directors approaches me and offers to drive me. My grandfather’s solar class, at this age older people are counted. It was cold and I thought why not, thank you very much. Leaving NOTK, it had a bus starting point, lines 450 and 550.
Then the man stops the car and starts a discussion that for EIO to support me, there must be someone who will fight for me and can commit to helping me if I am also a good girl. With kindness, nice words and praise spread. He grabbed my leg, got very close to me, told me not to be afraid, that what is being done is for my good. It was a very awkward situation, I was trying to understand how this great man could approach me like this, I was trying to decide what to do.
It was not easy to react, it would be rude to tell him that I did not want him to take me home or speak badly to him. At one point he went to kiss me and I told him that I would win at sea and I don’t need that support because it is unfair to everyone else that they will not have anyone to support them. I opened the door, got out of the car and ran and got on the bus waiting at the starting point. On the way home I decided that I would not tell anyone because if my parents found out they would prevent me from sailing.
And of course, there was no way he could say anything to anyone in the sports setting because that would spell even more disgust. I just made sure to never give him another chance to be alone with me. Neither in this nor in anyone else, he did not remember now. But now is the time to do something about it. Not so much to punish the perpetrators of various incidents in the past, but much more importantly, to create a safer environment for everyone in the society in which we live. You do not have the conditions to create such situations.
Psychogiou Marina
member of the National Sailing Team 1988-98, executive of the Olympic Sailing Games “.
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