Gymnastics Coaches Banned Amid Abuse Allegations

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has imposed suspensions on prominent gymnastics coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan due to findings of physical and emotional misconduct. Fong, a coach for decades, is banned until December 2030, while Barutyan received a one-year suspension. Both are central figures at Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, Missouri.

Great American Gymnastics Express has stated it disagrees with the SafeSport findings, citing a lack of eyewitness testimony and a committee-based process. The training center plans to pursue arbitration to challenge the imposed sanctions, asserting that the full record and context were not fairly considered.

Fong's coaching career has previously been marked by scrutiny, including the severe health issues and subsequent deaths of two gymnasts he trained decades ago. SafeSport, established in 2017 to combat abuse within the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement, has reported a notable increase in case filings.