Gymnast who sparked FBI sex abuse inquiry into coach tells AP she's proud to come forward

Source: AP

By RYAN J. FOLEY
Updated 11:44 AM CDT, August 21, 2025

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Recalling the damage her now-arrested coach inflicted on her and many of her gymnast friends, Finley Weldon said she feels a sense of pride.

Free from the grip that Sean Gardner had during her years of training at an Iowa academy known for producing Olympians, Weldon told The Associated Press in an exclusive interview that she is among the few who survived his abuse and are still in the sport.

The 18-year-old is heading into her freshman year at Iowa State University, where she’ll be a member of the Cyclones gymnastics team. She spoke with the AP on Wednesday, less than a week after Gardner was arrested on a child sexual exploitation charge.

“I didn’t want him to take away anything from me, especially something that I love,” she said. “None of the girls that I started with or went through the things that I did with Sean are still doing gymnastics today. So that’s something I’m very proud of.”



Read more: https://apnews.com/article/gymnast-sex-abuse-coach-sean-gardner-chows-54afe97648c39177b8939e208c50a806