Former head coach of the rhythmic gymnastics national team Laura Ahonen makes heavy claims against the Gymnastics Association in its press release.
According to Ahonen, the Gymnastics Federation has approached him at the beginning of January 2022 with a letter in which it urges him to acknowledge the serious violations that occurred in his coaching work and to accept a long ban.
Executive Director of the Gymnastics Association Maria Laakso does not take a direct stand on Ahonen’s claim. According to him, it is instead Ahonen’s own view. The Gymnastics Association and Ahonen sought a mediation solution for a long time.
– The union has been active in seeking a mediation solution and in the early stages of this process they have tried to find a common solution that would have saved everyone’s costs and time and would have been able to deal with this matter, Laakso tells Urheilu.
The long-sought mediation solution is stated in the decision published earlier by the disciplinary committee of the Gymnastics Federation. However, it was not possible.
In his press release, Ahonen also claims that the Gymnastics Federation has been closely involved in the coaching work of the rhythmic gymnastics national team.
According to Ahonen, the union’s representatives and experts have regularly participated in the exercises and were aware of the quality of the coaching.
– The Gymnastics Federation transferred the responsibility completely to the coaches, claiming that the coaches have acted against ethical principles, even though the Gymnastics Federation had been actively involved in the activity, Ahonen writes.
According to CEO Laakso, top sport has been led by federations, but calls for the responsibility of everyone involved.
– I emphasize that we each have our own responsibility, and responsibilities cannot be transferred to anyone for their own activities, he states.
This is also what he is demanding from Aho.
– Top sports and coaching takes place in the gym every day. No one other than the coach has been in the gym every day.
Gymnasts disappointed with the decision
Laakso admits that the association has failed to create a safe environment for every gymnast in sports.
– I also mean that the Gymnastics Federation has also been responsible for this and it has been established that everything has not gone well. There have been some operational issues, for which we are truly sorry. We have changed the national team’s operations and are now taking various measures so that these problems will no longer exist in gymnasiums in the future.
The former national team athletes interviewed by Urheilu were disappointed with the decision of the Finnish Gymnastics Federation’s disciplinary committee.
– We are disappointed with the end result, but primarily with the treatment process and its shortcomings, as well as with the treatment of our girls during the process.
The former gymnasts feel that, despite their differences, the association has pursued the cause of the coaches more than the athletes.
– In our opinion, the parties to the proceedings, the so-called interested parties, the association and the coaches have been able to deal with each other in peace and quiet, with as few noises as it is best for them.
Maria Laakso, executive director of the gymnastics association, states that the gymnasts have been offered legal assistance and have been in contact with them throughout the process.
– I also understand their frustration with it (the end result). The matter of what the role of the disciplinary committee is has been discussed with them. The disciplinary committee has handled the matter independently based on the rules.
The union imposed a disciplinary sanction on Ahonen
The Gymnastics Federation made a decision in the disciplinary case of Laura Ahonen, the former head coach of the rhythmic gymnastics national team, on Wednesday morning. Ahonen and another coach of the national team were suspected of acting improperly towards young, even underage, national team gymnasts for years.
The disciplinary committee of the gymnastics association imposed a disciplinary sanction on Ahonen. The committee did not announce the exact penalty. According to the association’s rules, notices or warnings about sanctions are not public.
The punishment was imposed according to the seriousness of the offenses and the general disciplinary practice. The athletes’ strict pace of weighing and monitoring their weight was considered inappropriate and inappropriate behavior.
On the other hand, the disciplinary committee stated that weight management is part of rhythmic gymnastics and thus a permitted training method, at least in elite sports.
No disciplinary sanction was imposed on the national team coach, who was the second suspect.