Former Oregon Athletes Allege Body-Shaming Within Women’s Track and Field Program

AP Photo/Thomas Boyd

Six women who competed within Oregon’s track and field program told Ken Goe of The Oregonian that “they felt devalued as individuals and at risk for eating disorders because of the program’s data-driven approach to their weight and body fat percentages.”

Oregon promoted Robert Johnson from associate coach to head coach in 2012. Goe reported the school has used more advanced techniques to measure the vitals of athletes, including a DEXA scan that gives more exact measurements for bone density and body fat percentage.

“DEXA scans, in particular, have become a flashpoint for some athletes, who say the precise body fat percentage measurements can trigger unhealthy behaviors,” Goe wrote.

Johnson said the more analytically inclined system “largely removes human bias from judgments about athletes” and helps the coaches configure individual workouts.

However, Goe reported a 2020 Oregon graduate reached out to deputy athletic director Lisa Peterson in October 2020 to say some of the then-current track and field athletes were starving themselves in order to get the right measurement on their DEXA scans.

One former athlete told Goe she started binge-eating at night.

Another former athlete told Goe that Johnson once asked her if she was on birth control because he said he “noticed your hips have gotten wider, and that comes along with that kind of stuff.”

Goe reported the women were concerned about coming forward because of Oregon’s longstanding connection with Nike and USA Track & Field.

“There are people who would lose their ability to go to the Pre Classic or lose USATF funding, because speaking up against him is like speaking up against basically USA Track & Field,” said one woman who also described Johnson as a “terrifyingly powerful man.”

Similar allegations followed Alberto Salazar, who was in charge of the Nike Oregon Project. Mary Cain first revealed the extent of the team’s toxic and unhealthy environment. Sports Illustrated‘s Chris Chavez followed up to report how “female athletes’ bodies were fair game to be demeaned publicly.”