Rhythmic gymnastics. Photo: LaPresse/Gian Mattia D'Alberto
A Christchurch rhythmic gymnastics coach is the latest to be banned as the embattled code pushes to make cultural change.
Coach Elena Mesheryakova has been suspended from coaching for six weeks in relation to a complaint made against her in June last year.
Her suspension ends on 15 April.
The Gymnastics New Zealand (GNZ) Sport Integrity Unit found Mesheryakova, the head coach at Christchurch United Gymnastics Club, had committed serious misconduct.
Under the GNZ complaints policy, misconduct can be assessed as minor, serious or gross.
The maximum suspension for serious misconduct is six weeks. An investigation by Andrew Scott Howman, who was appointed through the former Sport and Recreation Complaints and Mediation Service, lead to GNZ recommending that Mesheryakova also be stood down for 12 months from international touring and a personal development plan be put in place to address the behaviour that led to the finding of serious misconduct.
GNZ had been under the spotlight since complaints about coaches were first raised publicly in 2020.
The New Zealand Herald reported Mesheryakova had allegedly for years engaged in physical and verbally abusive coaching methods that significantly influenced the female athletes and resulted in diagnosed disordered eating and disordered body image.
She was not the first coach to be suspended by GNZ.
In 2022, GNZ started a two-year process towards addressing actions of the past and changing the future of the sport in response to "distressing and concerning allegations of abuse" uncovered within gymnastics in New Zealand in the years prior.
An Independent Review into the sport completed in 2020 highlighted a climate of fear and retribution, abusive coaches, body image issues and eating disorders.
GNZ chief executive Andrea Nelson, who joined the organisation in 2023, said after Mesheryakova's suspension came into effect that "cultural change is hard and takes time".
"We are heartened by the fact that people are speaking up about issues they encounter in the sport, and we find that the vast majority of these concerns can be resolved through education, support and open communication.
"Unfortunately, as in most sports, from time-to-time matters arise that require disciplinary processes to be undertaken.
"We acknowledge that these processes are challenging for all parties involved, so it is always our aim to deal with these matters as quickly and as transparently as possible."
In December GNZ released new training guidelines that GNZ believed better reflected New Zealand society.
"We are a constantly changing society and expectations are different and all sports need to be moving with the times and adapting. Gymnastics has probably had a faster learning curve than many others but by no means is the job done," Nelson said in December.
GNZ said the guidelines were intended to help coaches ensure that their practices are in line with contemporary New Zealand coaching standards but are not directly linked with any disciplinary processes.
"GNZ continues to work hard to support coaches and clubs to deliver positive gymnastics experiences."
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