'It's something you had to do to get to the Olympics': First US gymnast to win a world title claims she was forced to perform oral sex on her coach twice-a-day for two years starting at the age of 16

  • Marcia Frederick, now 55, had just turned 15 when she claims that coach Richard Carlson, then 25, began to sexually assault her
  • She was the first US gymnast to win a world championship on the bars in 1978 and the next year scored the first perfect ten by an American in competition  
  • Details of the alleged assault are now being revealed in a lawsuit Carlson has filed against USA Gymnastics
  • From the age of 16 until she was 18, Frederick alleges that Carlson would make her perform oral sex on him twice-a-day
  • Carlson has denied these allegations and said that all sexual contact between himself and Frederick was consensual and when she was of legal age 
  • Frederick eventually told her father, who she says disowned her and the owner of the gym where she trained, who fired Carlson and then hired him back 
  • A three-person panel from USA Gymnastics heard arguments in the case earlier this year and announced in June that Carlson was banned from the sport for life 

The first woman from the United States to win a world championship alleges that she was forced to perform oral sex on her coach up to twice a day in new court documents obtained by DailyMail.com.

Marcia Frederick, now 55, had just turned 15 when she made history at the 1978 World Championship in Strasbourg, France by winning gold in the uneven bars.

It was at that meet however that her coach was dismissed, amid allegations of sexual misconduct, and she was paired with Richard Carlson, then 25, who she claimed in multiple interviews with investigators forced her to engage in sexual relations with him over the course of the next three years.

She detailed the alleged grooming to investigators back in 2015 during two lengthy interviews.

It began with Frederick being directed to allegedly rub her coach's genitals over his pants, and eventually led to him sneaking up a fire escape as his wife slept so that he could quietly  enter Frederick's room through the window and have her perform oral sex, claim court documents.

In one instance that occured in 1979, she scored the first perfect 10 in competition just moments after orally pleasuring her coach.  

Carlson has admitted that he had a sexual relationship with Frederick but only when she was of legal age.

That is why he has filed a lawsuit against USA Gymnastics challenging the  determination of a three-person panel that he had an inappropriate relationship Frederick.

It is in this complaint that the details of the investigation into Frederick's claims have been revealed.

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Balancing act: Marcia Frederick (above in 1978 at the age of 15) had just turned 15 when she claims that coach Richard Carlson began to sexxually assault her

Balancing act: Marcia Frederick (above in 1978 at the age of 15) had just turned 15 when she claims that coach Richard Carlson began to sexxually assault her

Frederick said she came forward after learning Carlson was still involved in the sport back in 2015, assuming he had left gymnastics when she did in the wake of the 1980 Olympic Games boycott.

She then made the decision to share her allegations, including her claim that at the 1979 World Championship she was ordered by Carlson to perform oral sex two hours before and then two hours after competing at the event.

Ms. Frederick stated that she did not like it, that it was just something that she had to do to get to the Olympics. She said that she did not orgasm, that she did not even know what that was, she never thought about that, just thought that was what it meant to get to the Olympics.
-Report filed after 2015 interview with Marcia Frederick 

Frederick told investigators she first learned bars from Don Peters, who never sexually assaulted or abused her but may have acted inappropriate with other young woman.

Peters has denied those allegations of sexual misconduct. 

In retrospect, Frederick recounted one instance to investigators that occurred when she was 15 or 16 at the gym.

'Ms. Frederick said that it was before world championships that she had walked into a room in the lower level of the gym where they kept their shoes and grips in the cubbies and when she walked in, Don was standing in his usual position that she would see him, with his arms crossed and his one hand on his chin, staring at the girls,' reads the report.

'Ms. Frederick said she went by herself as she usually did to go and warm up before the others and the training began and saw [a young gymnast] in the process of pulling up her leotard.'

The report continued: 'She said that the leotard was one where you put your feet through first and then it had a zipper on the back to close it. She stated that Lisa had her bra on mid the leotard was around Lisa's waist and Lisa was pulling it up. She said that she figured that Lisa was probably just having a hard time with the zipper.'

It was after Peters' departure in late-1978 when she began working with Carlson, who she told investigators would compliment her chap stick and later her looks.

'Ms. Frederick said that Richie then noticed her hair and said how pretty her hair was,' wrote one investigator.

'Richie had said how pretty her hair was and how she had been growing up, that her body was changing.'

Carlson then moved into the residence where the girls lived along with his wife, and began to request private time working with Frederick.

It was in early 1979 that Carlson allegedly began ordering his student to perform sex acts.

'Ms . Frederick said that she remembers what getting closer meant and said Richie liked oral sex, and that was what he meant by getting closer,' read the report.

'She stated that the first time it happened they were alone together in the common area of the dorm and Richie put her hand on his crotch and had her rub his crotch and she pulled her hand away and that was it.'

Details of the alleged assault are now being revealed in a lawsuit Carlson (above in 2015 photo included in court docs) has filed against USA Gymnastics

Details of the alleged assault are now being revealed in a lawsuit Carlson (above in 2015 photo included in court docs) has filed against USA Gymnastics

In an alarming admission, Frederick stated to investigators that although she 'felt weird,' she began to think about the numerous 'coaches that married their gymnasts and thought that was what this meant.'

The report goes on to state: 'She said that maybe she thought that Richie was going to divorce Lynn and marry her.'

The touching 'happened several times' after that first incident said Frederick, who explained that 'Richie never touched her it was always she touched him.'

That touching only stopped however because Frederick was now being ordered to orally pleasure her coach.

'Ms. Frederick stated that she did not know how she got to her knees. but believed that Richie took his hands and gently put her to her knees, they were right outside the living room in the doorway to the kitchen,' she told the investigator of the first alleged incident.

'She was on her knees; he took out his penis and put it in her mouth. She said she did not know what to do, and then he humped her face and ejaculated in her mouth.

'She swallowed and gagged on it, they did not say anything and she went up to her room.'

That one time then became a daily and even twice-daily occurrence for the next two years claims Frederick.

 Ms. Frederick stated that she did not know how she got to her knees. but believed that Richie took his hands and gently put her to her knees, they were right outside the living room in the doorway to the kitchen. She was on her knees; he took out his penis and put it in her mouth. She said she did not know what to do, and then he humped her face and ejaculated in her mouth. She swallowed and gagged on it, they did not say anything and she went up to her room.
-2015 report 

'So every time he wanted it, he got it, but she refused to swallow so he would ejaculate on her face and chest,' it is noted in the report,

'Ms. Frederick said that he usually had a smirk on his face or had his head back and his eyes closed.'

At the same time, Frederick said that another coach, Rick Wagner, was involved in a physical relationship with a student while also noting that that gym's owner, Muriel Growled, also married her coach. 

This all resulted in her belief that 'it was normal for coaches to marry their gymnasts.'

Carlson then began to risk getting caught by his wife based of Frederick's claims to investigators.

'Mrs. Frederick stated that at night night Richie would go up the fire escape and would go to her room, she said she could hear his footsteps goinig up the fire escape, and the first time she saw his sweat pants and sneaker and then it started to happen in her room,' reads the report.

'She said that like before it would start with the touching and then oral sex. She said there was never any discussion, sometimes he would say sleep well, or see you in the gym type comments.'

It is then noted: 'She said it happened in her room any time that Richie got the opportunity. She said she would always wait for the footsteps and just knew.'

He would also make her perform oral sex on him while he drove the team van alleges Frederick, who claimed that her peers were asleep in the backseats of the vehicle while this happened on multiple occasions.

Frederick claims that she would perform oral sex on her coach because she saw it as a means to an end and a necessary evil.

'Ms. Frederick stated that she did not like it, that it was just something that she had to do to get to the Olympics, read the report.

'She said that she did not orgasm, that she did not ·even know what that was, she never thought about that, just thought that was what it meant to get to the Olympics.'

First she was to defend her world title, but was unable to repeat on the uneven bars at the event.

Scandal: From the age of 16 until she was 18, Frederick (above circa 2015) alleges that Carlson would make her perform oral sex on him twice-a-day 

Scandal: From the age of 16 until she was 18, Frederick (above circa 2015) alleges that Carlson would make her perform oral sex on him twice-a-day 

Shocking: Frederick's allegations about the 1979 World Championships in Texas (above)

Shocking: Frederick's allegations about the 1979 World Championships in Texas (above)

Frederick also alleged that she, in a manner very much similar to the young women on the 2012 Olympic teams, was sexually assaulted while at that competition.

She had a bad meet from the beginning and did not qualify for the all-around said Frederick.

'Ms. Frederick said that Richie was mad at her after that and made her workout for hours and remembered that they had oral sex that morning,' read the report.

'While she was working out, Richie got a phone call from Kathy Johnson and Ms. Frederick had to fill in for another girl who had pulled out of the competition.'

Frederick said that she did this wearing the girl's leotard and going straight from her workout.

Petitioner, Richard Carlson, denies that any inappropriate sexual contact took place between himself and Mrs. Frederick. And that even if sexual contact took place as alleged by Mrs. Frederick such was not against the law or in violation of any policy, rule or code of conduct in place in 1979-1980 which forbid consensual contact between a coach and an athlete.
-2015 report 

'Ms. Frederick said that she was not prepared, she had cum all over her chest, and she was sweaty and dirty from having had to work out,' the investigator wrote in the report.

'She competed, had one of the best competitions of the day, and Ms. Frederick said she thought it was because she just did not care anymore.'

Frederick was 16 at the time.

She felt a desire to tell someone more frequently in the wake of that competition, but did not out of fear she would not make the Olympic team.

Then, in a cruel twist of fate, Frederick's Olympic dreams were killed not because of anything she or Carlson did, but rather the 1980 US boycott of the Moscow Games in response to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

Frederick alleges that the day she learned of the boycott was the same day she shared her story for the first time with multiple people, starting with the gym's owner.

'Ms. Frederick did not recall what exactly Muriel's response was, but stated that if Muriel had asked her anything it was, 'was it in the gym,' the report explained.

'When asked again, Ms. Frederick said that she remembers that she told Muriel that it happened in the van, the dorm, her room and the hotels. Ms. Frederick said that Muriel said she did not believe her and always had a stoic look on her face, that she looked angry.'

Frederick left upset and then went to tell her father, who in turn 'looked at her with disgust and they have been estranged ever since' she told investigators.

Her mother was indifferent, the gym owner's partner concerned about the monetary impact and her boyfriend at the time the lone supportive person in her life according to the report.

Not one of the five people she told contacted police, despite the fact that she was just 17 at the time.

Carlson was fired but then hired back, at which point Frederick decided to exact revenge by seducing him she alleged in the report, and making sure his wife caught the two in bed. 

It was the only time the pair had sex alleged Frederick, and the first time she had engaged in intercourse with a man.

'She relayed that she was watching the clock and when Lynn came in she had a look on her face of such betrayal and devastation,' it is written in the report.

'Ms. Frederick said that when Lynn walked in, Richie got off her real quick, she sat up and turned her back to Richie, she relayed that she wanted to hurt Richie but not Lynn.'

And it is the noted: 'Lynn and Richie started arguing and Ms. Frederick got dressed and went around them and ran out of the room.'

The couple divorced and in 1982 Frederick left the sport, not wanting to train two additional years for the Olympics.

Carlson is hitting back however at these claims in the lawsuit he has filed against USA Gymnastics.

Petitioner, Richard Carlson, denies that any inappropriate sexual contact took place between himself and Mrs. Frederick. And that even if sexual contact took place as alleged by Mrs. Frederick such was not against the law or in violation of any policy, rule or code of conduct in place in 1979-1980 which forbid consensual contact between a coach and an athlete.
-2015 report 

That came in the wake of the decision handed down by the group after Frederick formally filed a complaint about her allegations back in 2015, notifying the group after a picture of Carlson appeared on social media at a meet.

A three-person panel from USA Gymnastics heard arguments in the case earlier this year and announced in June that Carlson was banned from the sport for life, one day before appearing in front of the Senate to answer questions about the Larry Nassar scandal.

Frederick alleged at the time that Carlson was willing to step down for life is she would just keep the allegations quiet.

He also never denied sleeping with her when she was 17, a year older than the age of consent in Connecticut at the time.

Carlson is now suing over that decision, stating that USA gymnastics had yet to be incorporated at the time of the allegations and that Frederick was at an age to legally consent at all times.

He also pointed out her own admission in her testimony that she was never physically forced into performing sex acts.

And for good measure he also argues that the statue of limitations is up, and required Federick to report within a year, not 33 years after the alleged incidents.

And he denied having sexual relations with Frederick, a claim his ex-wife supported in court by stating she never once walked in on him having sex with Frederick.

'Petitioner, Richard Carlson, denies that any inappropriate sexual contact took place between himself and Mrs. Frederick,' reads his complaint.

'And that even if sexual contact took place as alleged by Mrs. Frederick such was not against the law or in violation of any policy, rule or code of conduct in place in 1979-1980 which forbid consensual contact between a coach and an athlete.'

He is now demanding that a judgment be return against USA Gymnastics 'annulling and setting aside the 'arbitrary and capricious' determination of the Hearing Panel; and/or (2) awarding Petitioner the costs and disbursements of this proceeding; and/or (3) for such other, further and different relief as this Honorable Court may deem just, proper and equitable.'

This is the last case the group decided to hear under a USA Gymnastics panel, and now use SafeSport to handle their legal issues involving athletes. 

 

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