Image source, Phoebe Lenderyou Image caption,

Phoebe Lenderyou, who represented Great Britain, battled bulimia for five years while swimming competitively

By Rebecca Woods

BBC News, West Midlands

A former Commonwealth youth gold medallist tipped for world success says she suffered with bulimia for years as a result of extreme criticism and humiliating weigh-ins by her swimming coaches.

Phoebe Lenderyou said she was just one of many swimmers who would regularly starve themselves before being weighed and that coaches would often blame poor performance in the pool on weight gain.

On one occasion, she said a group of athletes were "tested" by coaches who gave them chocolate cake and told them they had "failed" when they ate it.

She said she quit the sport with her "mentality ruined" and spent years trying to recover.

"I tell [stories] to my friends and family and they can't believe it. It's utterly disgraceful that it went on," she said.

The BBC has spoken to multiple swimmers, several parents, and coaches who allege mistreatment at clubs across England.