Irina Viner-Usmanova was disqualified for two years

The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has imposed sanctions in the form of a two-year disqualification of the most successful coach in the history of rhythmic gymnastics, the mentor of the Russian team, Irina Viner-Usmanova. During this period, she will not be able to work at international competitions in any capacity and receive official accreditations for them. This decision was made by the disciplinary committee of the Gymnastic Ethics Foundation (GEF). She clarified that the period of disqualification will not be calculated from the moment the decision is published, as usual, but only after the lifting of sanctions imposed on all domestic gymnastics after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine. The FIG, like the vast majority of sports structures, followed the isolation recommendations of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2022, and last week extended the suspension of athletes from Russia and Belarus indefinitely.

The reason for imposing sanctions on Irina Viner-Usmanova, who is also the president of the All-Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation (VFCG), was her behavior after the Tokyo Olympics held in the summer of 2021. In the individual all-around competition, the Russian team for the first time since 1996 did not win gold. It was won by the Israeli Lina Ashram, ahead of the favorite Dina Averina, who was invulnerable throughout the entire Olympic cycle, despite the grossest mistake in the ribbon exercise – the loss of the object.

Irina Viner-Usmanova sharply criticized the refereeing of the tournament, and first of all, the head of the FIG technical committee responsible for rhythmic gymnastics, Russian woman Natalia Kuzmina. Later, the WFHG withdrew the candidacy of Mrs. Kuzmina from the next elections to the technical committee. FIG, however, then re-included Natalia Kuzmina in the list, but the independent commission on the ethics of the federation upheld the withdrawal of the candidacy. The GEF statement notes that the public press statements made by Irina Viner-Usmanova following the results of the Tokyo Olympics were “offensive” in nature and violated FIG rules.

Arnold Kabanov