The title refers to gymnast Maggie Nichols who was referred to as "Athlete A" to protect her identity while investigations into her sexual abuse by USAG doctor Larry Nassar were ongoing.
Summary
While researching a story on the failure of schools to report sexual abuse, a reporter at The Indianapolis Star has a source reach out to her to suggest she look into USAG. The reporters at The Star collaborate on a piece that reveals that Steve Penny, president of the organization, worked to cover for abusive coaches. When the piece is published in 2014, Rachael Denhollander, Jessica Howard, and Jamie Dantzscher independently reach out to the team at The Star to reveal that they were sexually abused by USAG doctor Larry Nassar. Only Denhollander is willing to immediately speak on the record; during her interview she reveals that she is finally ready to come forward and plans on speaking to the police about what happened to her.
In 2015, gymnast Maggie Nichols is sexually abused by Nassar at the Karolyi Ranch and reveals the abuse to her coach who informs her parents. Her parents are called by Penny, who informs them he has reached out to law enforcement to investigate the abuse.
In 2016, The Star publishes its investigation into Nassar and Denhollander goes to the police with her evidence against Nassar. Maggie Nichols's parents, frustrated with the lack of information about their daughter's case, reach out to a lawyer who is working with other victims and discover that USAG was told of abuse going back at least as far as 2012. The criminal prosecution of Nassar goes forward, and he reaches a plea deal in 2017. Nevertheless, The Star continues to investigate the abuses perpetrated by USAG.
Penny is eventually arrested in 2017 for his role in covering up Nassar's abuse.
Nichols leaves elite gymnastics after being left off the 2016 US gymnastics Olympics team, which the documentary implies was because of her role in coming forward against Nassar.[a] She competes in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) gymnastics, which reinvigorates her love of the sport.
Release
Athlete A was scheduled to have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 17, 2020, but the festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3] The film therefore premiered when it was released on Netflix on June 24, 2020.[4]
Reception
Critical response
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 60 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.4/10. The website's consensus reads: "Athlete A shines an unforgiving light on horrific abuses—as well as the culture that allowed them to continue unabated for years."[5] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 85 out of 100, based on 12 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]
^The opinion that Nichols' being left off the team was due to her reporting of Nassar is a controversial one, with many gymnastics outlets noting that Nichols suffered a knee injury a few months before the Olympics and was nowhere near her peak form at the Olympic Trials, despite having won multiple medals at the World Championships the previous year. That she was not named an alternate is more surprising, with Lauren Hopkins of The Gymternet speculating that the judges may have been asked by USA Gymnastics to score Nichols such that her rank would not warrant an alternate spot.
