“A dish served cold”: why FIG punished Wiener a year and a half after the scandal in Tokyo

The disciplinary commission of the Gymnastic Ethics Foundation (GEF) suspended Irina Viner from work at international competitions for two years.

The punishment will come into force only the next day after the abolition of the so-called protective measures against the Russian team associated with the holding of the SVO in Ukraine.

The reason for the proceedings, which led to such a rather harsh penalty, was the statements of the head coach of the domestic team during and after the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

There, as you know, Russian gymnasts for the first time in 20 years were left without gold medals both in group exercises and in individual all-around.

The champion of the tournament was the Israeli Lina Ashram, who dropped the ribbon, and the team victory went to the Bulgarians.

Wiener then attacked the judges with devastating criticism, accusing them of bias and incompetence.

“Dina didn’t lose, she won.

But, unfortunately, the refereeing was a blatant injustice.

It will go down in history just like Nemov, when he was applauded for 12 minutes.

Dina Averina did everything cleanly, did not make a mistake on the last look.

Lina Ashram, unfortunately, made a glaring mistake, for which all brigades take off points for performance, technique, and artistry.

Everyone had to shoot.

They always say that if there is such a mistake, then a person will never be able, if another has not made the same mistake, to become a champion, and even more so an Olympic one, and even more so in the last event.

It was just a shame for rhythmic gymnastics, ”said Wiener RT.

The corresponding protest of the Russian Olympic Committee was rejected by the FIG technical committee: experts did not see bias and unsatisfactory work of the judges.

After that, Wiener also expressed claims to the activities of the president of the technical committee, Russian woman Natalya Kuzmina.

“This is an outrageous fact.

Either she was afraid that they were Russians, that they might misunderstand.

But it was a shame.

It just couldn't be left like that.

We have always said that an athlete who makes such a gross mistake cannot stand on the first step of the podium.

This will go down in history,” said the president of the WFHG.

Subsequently, the Russian Federation removed Kuzmina from the new FIG elections, which also became one of the reasons for the proceedings of the disciplinary commission.

As noted in a statement by the press service of the organization, this recall of the candidate was considered a "punitive measure."

The investigation into Wiener's case lasted over a year, and she was eventually found guilty of violating FIG rules.

Two aggravating circumstances also played against the legendary coach: firstly, she refused to cooperate with the commission, and secondly, in 2008 she already received a warning for public statements that violated the federation's code of ethics.

“Ms. Viner-Usmanova is prohibited from participating in or obtaining accreditation to play any role in international competitions, including the functions of a coach, head of delegation or other official role in international competitions within any event under the auspices of the International Gymnastics Federation or tournaments organized by an affiliated federation member of the FIG, for a period of two years, which will begin one day after the lifting of the FIG safeguards related to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, provided that the safeguards are lifted within five years from the date of this decision, ”says in statement published on the official website of the federation.

It also explains: if sanctions against Russian sports continue for more than five years, then Wiener's suspension will be reduced by the difference between the date of their cancellation and seven years from the date of this decision.

The verdict can be challenged in the FIG appeal committee within 21 days, but it is not yet known if Wiener will do this.

In Russia, they were outraged by the severe punishment for a person who for many years personifies rhythmic gymnastics and devotes all his strength to the development of his favorite sport.

“The best are buried.

Alive.

They want to work only with people who are silent, do not have their own opinion, with dependent people who bow.

This applies not only to them, but to us too.

They don't like people with strong character either here or there, I don't know where to go.

Ugliness.

An outrageous fact, ”Tatyana Tarasova said about this.

Yana Batyrshina, in turn, stressed that the removal of the head coach would seriously affect the future performances of the gymnasts, as everyone was used to feeling her support during the competition.

“She has such power, such power.

I know for myself: you go out, and behind you is a wall that will protect you under any circumstances.

And now, when we are still allowed to compete, this wall will not be there.

If I were an active athlete, now I would start shaking, to be honest, ”quotes the former athlete Match TV.

And RT columnist Elena Vaitsekhovskaya noted that the removal of Wiener, on the one hand, looks ridiculous because of the long period that has passed since the events, but on the other hand, it makes one recall the saying that revenge is a dish served cold.

“Is this revenge?

Undoubtedly.

Such a very clear marker that the International Gymnastics Federation never forgets or forgives anything, even after the past of the deed.

Particularly cynical is the point that the suspension will take effect only after the Russian gymnasts return to the international arena.

Is this a surprise?

Absolutely not.

When the first part of the Merleson Ballet (in Tokyo) was followed by the second part (Wiener's performance at the World Championships in October 2021), it was clear that the FIG would not leave this unattended, ”wrote the Olympic champion in her Telegram channel.

In her opinion, expressed in the hot pursuit of the scandal, all these events can have quite serious and far-reaching consequences.

“In the best case, our country will simply lose part of its authority, and this will not even hit the Averin sisters, who have already won the maximum they were capable of in gymnastics, but those who will come to replace them.

At worst, it is completely possible that one of the current bosses of the International Olympic Committee will sooner or later ask the Olympic community a question: do we need a source of continuous squabbles and scandals in the Olympic program?” Vaitsekhovskaya summed up.