Swimming champion Cate Campbell has claimed the sport is so obsessed with weight female pool stars were told to eat off smaller plates and publicly scolded for gaining only a few hundred grams.
The four-time Olympic gold medallist spoke of the sport's focus on 'being skinny' in her new book Sister Secrets: Life Lessons from the Pool to the Podium.
The 29-year-old claimed female swimmers competing for Australia at her first Olympics in Beijing underwent weekly weigh-ins and were 'admonished' in front of their teammates for minor weight gains.
Cate Campbell, 29, has claimed Australia's female pool stars were told to eat off smaller plates and publicly scolded for gaining only a few hundred grams in a new book
'On my first Olympic team in 2008, all the girls were specifically told to use smaller plates at dinner so we wouldn't overeat,' she said in an extract from the book seen by The Sunday Telegraph.
'Swimmers in other programs were subjected to weekly weigh-ins - in front of their entire squads - and publicly admonished if they gained a few hundred grams.
'The general consensus from most of the male coaches was: the skinnier the better. Some of this mindset had begun to rub off on me.'
The claims comes just five months after Commonwealth Games gold medallist and academic Dr Jenny McMahon lifted the lid on the 'toxic and dysfunctional' culture at the sport's elite level.
One swimmer claimed she became anorexic and had to be taken to hospital after being body-shamed by an Olympic coach.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Swimming Australia for comment.
Campbell meanwhile told last month how she held off getting medical help for her depression as she trained for the Tokyo Games.
Campbell (right) last month opened up about her battle with depression in a candid Instagram post
Campbell's (pictured) claims comes just five months after Commonwealth Games gold medallist and academic Dr Jenny McMahon lifted the lid on the 'toxic and dysfunctional' culture at the sport's elite level
The 29-year-old opened up about her depression diagnosis last year, revealing she only reached out for professional health four weeks out from her fourth Olympics.
Campbell spoke candidly of
