Olympic coaches sanctioned in international investigation of abuse in Azerbaijan rhythmic gymnastics

GENEVA — A four-year investigation into alleged physical, verbal and psychological abuse of rhythmic gymnasts in Azerbaijan led to the former Olympic team head coach, who is now a government minister, getting an eight-year international ban from the sport.

Mariana Vasileva's athletes said she tried to strangle one of them who wanted to leave the team, physically beat them, made them perform and train when unfit and would deprive them of contact with their families, according to documents in the case prosecuted by the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF).

One athlete shamed about her weight tried to jump out of a window in 2013 until being stopped by Vasileva's daughter, Siyana Vasileva, a former European Championships medalist and now an Olympic coach. She was also sanctioned for hitting a gymnast with a phone.

Mariana Vasileva ''exemplified and normalized a behavior of abuse over children and teenagers over which she had an important power,'' an independent panel of three judges said in its sanctions ruling.

Since 2021 Vasileva has been a deputy sports minister in the Azerbaijan government. It tried to persuade witnesses to retract their evidence, according to GEF investigators empowered by the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).

''This case, the outcome of which speaks for itself, illustrates the importance of both independence and the resources necessary to see such matters through to the end of the judicial process,'' the GEF said Friday in a statement.

The foundation was created in 2019 and funded by FIG to better protect athletes after the scandal of sexual abuse by former United States team doctor Larry Nassar. Since then, claims of abusive and bullying cultures were made by gymnasts in countries including Australia, Britain, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

The Azerbaijan case showed close ties between the government and the national gymnastics federation led by Mehriban Aliyeva, vice president of the state run for more than 21 years by her husband President Ilham Aliyev.

Bulgarian-born Mariana Vasileva was head coach of the Azerbaijan rhythmic gymnastics team from 2008 until 2021, after the Tokyo Olympics where her athletes placed 10th. She was then made a deputy to sports minister Farid Gayibov, who is president of European Gymnastics and a member of world governing body FIG's executive committee.

Alleged abuse was first reported to the GEF in Lausanne, Switzerland, in July 2020 after complaints at national level had not led to disciplinary action.

Lawyers for the defense parties — Vasileva and her daughter Siyana, two more coaches and the federation — got some charges removed as time-barred and argued the "alleged conduct did not take place as alleged or at all.''

The federation was eventually fined 30,000 Swiss francs ($32,800) by the independent judges and barred from top-level FIG business meetings into next year. Its safeguarding policies must be monitored for two years.

''Mariana Vasileva's denial that she had ever caused a gymnast pain is not credible,'' the judges wrote, also banning her for life from being the head coach of any national federation. The 50-year-old coach was stripped of a FIG coaching honor and must train in safeguarding for three months before any return to coaching, potentially in 2032.

Siyana Vasileva was given an 18-month ban suspended for a probationary period of three years. She helped coach the Azerbaijan rhythmic gymnastics team that placed fifth in the Paris Olympics last year while verdicts were pending.

She remains a member of the FIG Athlete Commission as the global representative of rhythmic gymnasts elected through 2025.

FIG said Friday its executive committee was expected to discuss the Azerbaijan case at a meeting next month.

The verdicts and sanctions decided late last year were not published until Dec. 31. They can be challenged on appeal.

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