Ruta Meilutyte, Others Accuse Coach Jon Rudd of Toxic Training Environment At Plymouth Leander

Olympic gold medalist Ruta Meilutyte is one of a dozen swimmers who have come forward accusing coach Jon Rudd of fostering a toxic environment at one of Great Britain’s most successful swim clubs, Plymouth Leander.

Meilutyte was one of Rudd’s ex-swimmers who detailed their experiences working under Rudd to BBC’s investigative documentary series BBC Panorama, noting that his focus on weight and diet contributed to her struggle with an eating disorder and depression.

Meilutyte, a Lithuanian native, moved to the UK and joined Plymouth Leander in 2010 to train under Rudd, who had been the head coach there since 1989.

Success came quickly for the duo, with Meilutyte winning a stunning Olympic gold medal in the women’s 100 breaststroke two years later at the 2012 Games in London at the age of 15.

Now 28, Meilutyte recalled Rudd making comments about her weight, including telling her her “ass was fat” prior to a major competition when she was 16.

Once, after telling him that she had been making herself sick after meals to keep her weight down, he laughed and replied: “Well, at least you get the calories out,” she told BBC Panorama.

Meilutyte did say that when Rudd realized she wasn’t happy with how he responded, he sought help for her.

She went on to say that Rudd’s training program “made me for a while and then it broke me.”

In 2022, Meilutyte spoke openly about dealing with an eating disorder on the SwimSwam Podcast.

During his tenure at Plymouth Leander, which lasted 28 years and came to an end in 2017, Rudd faced accusations of bullying and verbal abuse, but Swim England did not take action on the allegations, according to BBC Panorama.

“We have found that Swim England, the governing body, did not act on a confidential 2012 investigation which ruled Rudd should be suspended after hearing evidence about his behaviour from 17 witnesses,” BBC Panorama said.

Andy Salmon, who took over as Swim England CEO in February 2024, said he didn’t know why Rudd was never suspended but that he was “deeply, deeply, sorry” to Plymouth swimmers for the failings of the national governing body to act.

Salmon confirmed that no action was taken against Rudd despite evidence that swimmers suffered harm and after there was a recommendation made in 2012 that he be suspended for four months.

The original investigation showed that Rudd’s former assistant coach, Lindsay Trimmings, should have also been suspended at the time. Trimmings went on to work at Swim England, eventually being promoted to its head of coaching role before leaving in 2023.

“Clearly the organization failed to act on the independent recommendations made at the time,” Salmon told BBC Panorama. “And I’m really sorry, on behalf of Swim England, for any suffering that that might have led to.”

Swim England also came under heavy scrutiny last March after an independent research report found that abuse, racism and bullying had been a part of the organization’s culture.

Just over one year earlier, in February 2023, Jane Nickerson stepped down as Swim England CEO after allegations of eating disorders, bullying and mental health issues were present in the Ellesmere Titan Swim Club.

Rudd, who had served as the National Performance Director at Swim Ireland since 2017, stepped down from the role earlier this month to take over as the High Performance Director of the Saudi Arabian Olympic swim team.

During his time at Plymouth, one of Rudd’s most successful swimmers was Antony James, the 2012 Olympian who was sentenced to 21 years in prison earlier this year after he was found guilty of raping two teenage girls under the age of 18.

Three former swimmers at Plymouth told BBC Panorama that Rudd had coached James since he was eight years old and should’ve known he was interested in younger girls. A former girlfriend of James (and ex-swimmer) said he was well known for mixing with young teenage girls and no one questioned his behavior as the club’s “golden boy.”

“Everyone knew – he wasn’t trying to hide anything that he was doing, it was very out there and open,” she said.

Among the other swimmers who spoke about their experiences training under Rudd include Olympic bronze medalist Cassie Patten, who said he made her train with an injured shoulder that eventually ended her career, and Commonwealth Youth gold medalist Phoebe Lenderyou, who said Rudd’s regime aggravated her eating disorder.

Plymouth Leander told BBC Panorama it was “deeply concerned by the nature and severity” of the allegations,  and said the club was “fundamentally different” from when Rudd was in charge. The club also said it conducted a thorough review of its safeguarding policies and procedures.

Rudd was employed by Plymouth College, an independent school that ran a partnership with Plymouth Leander from 2001 until 2024.

The school was responsible for Rudd’s “oversight and jurisdiction,” the club said, while Plymouth College said the club was responsible for safeguarding. Their partnership has since been terminated.

BBC Panorama also reported that it found evidence of a culture of bullying at Royal Wolverhampton School Swimming Club as recently as last year.

The club’s former welfare officer said she gave the names of 11 parents who had concerns about the club’s head coach, David Painter, to Swim England, but none were contacted. Swim England reportedly had asked the school to resolve the issues. Painter now coaches with the Etobicoke Swim Club in Canada and told BBC Panorama and that athlete development and wellbeing have always been at the core of his coaching and allegations against him were “untrue… and defamatory.”