London CNN —England’s swimming authority will stop the weighing of children at its clubs following athlete criticism of “unacceptable behaviour.”New guidance released by Swim England, the country’s national governing body for swimming, stated that “athletes under the age of 18 should not be weighed, unless they are on a nationally supported talent pathway,” the body said in a press release Wednesday. All clubs and coaches must comply with the policy which covers “all aquatic disciplines,” Swim England noted, adding that it aims to tackle the “psychological distress which may come from weighing athletes such as disordered eating, anxiety and depression.”The governing body’s new policy follows guidance issued in 2021 recommending children should not be weighed. “I was broken, mentally a shell of who I was and a very unhappy person. I hated swimming, I couldn’t put on a swimming costume for years,” she said. Swim England added that the weighing of eligible athletes such as those over 18 or on the “talent pathway” should “only be undertaken with clearly documented reasoning, specific to that athlete, and with the athlete’s optimal long-term development in mind.”

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Persons: Cassie Patten, Patten, ”, “, couldn’t, “ I’ve, ” Patten Organizations: London CNN, Swim, BBC