Gymnastics-US SafeSport suspends gymnastics coaches Fong, Barutyan for misconduct

Dec 23 (Reuters) – The U.S. Center for SafeSport has suspended longtime gymnastics coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan for physical and emotional misconduct, according to the organization’s disciplinary database.

The married couple, who founded and operate Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, Missouri, have coached numerous U.S. Olympic and world medallists over several decades.

Fong was suspended through December 22, 2030, while Barutyan, a former Soviet Union gymnast from Armenia, received a one-year suspension.

GAGE said on Tuesday it disagreed with the findings and plans to challenge the decision.

“While we fully support the mission of SafeSport and the importance of creating healthy, safe training environments for athletes, we are deeply disappointed by this outcome and respectfully disagree with the findings,” the training center wrote on Instagram.

“These determinations were made without eyewitness testimony and through a committee-based process. We believe the decision does not fairly reflect the full record or context, and we intend to exercise our right to arbitration.”

Barutyan recently served on the U.S. coaching staff at the Junior World Championships and Junior Pan American Games, where GAGE athlete Lavi Crain competed.

Respondents have 10 days to request arbitration, in which an independent arbitrator determines whether the sanctions are upheld.

“We are grateful to those who come forward with their stories, which allow us to hold individuals accountable and shift sport culture,” SafeSport told Reuters.

Fong’s career has long drawn scrutiny.

Two gymnasts who trained under him later died after suffering severe health issues. Julissa Gomez, who was paralysed in a vaulting accident, died in 1991, and Christy Henrich died in 1994 from complications related to eating disorders.

Fong has previously denied allegations of abusive conduct.

SafeSport, an independent nonprofit created by Congress in 2017 to prevent and respond to emotional, physical and sexual abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement, has reported a steady rise in cases, with complaints climbing to more than 8,000 in 2024, according to its data.

(Reporting by Janina Nuno Rios in Mexico City; Editing by Sonali Paul)