The Disciplinary Committee of the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) suspended the president of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation and national team head coach Irina Viner from international competitions for two years. On this subject reported press office of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
“Wiener is not permitted to participate or be accredited for any role in international competition, including as a coach, head of delegation or other official role in international competition at a FIG event,” the official said. communicated.
It also clarifies that the countdown to the restriction period will begin one day after the lifting of the FIG protective measures related to the situation in Ukraine, provided that they are lifted within five years from the date of the decision to dismiss the head coach of the Russian team. National team.
The proceedings against Wiener were brought in connection with with the deletion Russian woman Natalya Kuzmina’s nominations for the FIG Technical Committee elections in Rhythmic Gymnastics in 2021, as well as Wiener’s comments in the media regarding the evaluations of Russian women in the individual and team all-around at the Tokyo Olympics, where the representatives of the Russian team for the first time in 25 years found themselves without gold medals. The national team head coach’s public statements were considered offensive and violated FIG rules.
Kuzmina’s name appears in a scandal involving refereeing in rhythmic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics. At the 2020 Games, Israeli Lina Ashram took first place in the individual all-around, despite the fact that during her performance she made a big mistake and dropped the projectile, she still surpassed the Russian Dina Averina. In the group all-around, the Russian team won silver, Bulgaria took first place. According to the results of the group’s all-around performance, the Russian side submitted several requests for revision of the evaluation, but the team remained in second place.
The judging of the rhythmic gymnastics tournament drew heavy criticism from Russian experts, including Irina Viner.
“Yesterday I said that it would happen, because already in the qualifying competitions it was clear that Bulgaria was withdrawn, that the hegemony of Russia had to be stopped. So, by the way, it was written on the site of the international federation. And it was a direct task to what happened yesterday. Dina Averina became just a heroine of the Internet, social networks and raised the patriotic spirit of our country after being brazenly taken off after the drill, where she made no mistakes, and the mark was given for more than five minutes,” said She.
At the same time, Wiener noted that even a month and a half before the Olympics, at the European Championships, the Russian team surpassed the Bulgarian team, but already at the Olympics, the judges “immediately made a difference , although their bullets are much weaker.
In the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) declared that the refereeing of Olympic rhythmic gymnastics competitions was not biased. The organization stressed that it was satisfied with the work of qualified and impartial judges.
