According to the findings disclosed by the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF), Vasileva’s athletes reported distressing incidents, including an alleged attempt to strangle one gymnast who wished to leave the team. Other allegations include physical assaults, forcing athletes to train despite injuries, and restricting their communication with family members. One particularly troubling episode in 2013 involved a gymnast feeling ashamed of her weight, leading her to attempt to jump out of a window, an act that was thwarted by Vasileva’s daughter, Siyana, a former European Championships medalist and current Olympic coach. Siyana was also reprimanded for hitting a gymnast with a mobile phone.
The independent panel of judges responsible for the sanctions termed Vasileva’s actions as normalizing a culture of abuse against young athletes over whom she wielded significant power. Since taking up her role as deputy sports minister in Azerbaijan in 2021, Vasileva’s office has allegedly tried to intimidate witnesses into retracting their statements, as reported by GEF investigators operating under the authority of the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG).
In a statement issued on Friday, the GEF emphasized the significance of independent investigations and adequate resources to ensure justice in such cases. Established in 2019 and funded by the FIG, the foundation aims to protect athletes following the fallout from the sexual abuse allegations against former U.S. team doctor Larry Nassar. Subsequent claims of a toxic culture have surfaced from gymnasts in various countries, including Australia, the UK, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
This particular case highlighted the intricate connections between the Azerbaijani government and its national gymnastics federation, which has been overseen by Mehriban Aliyeva, the wife of the country’s president, Ilham Aliyev, for over two decades. Mariana Vasileva, a native of Bulgaria, had been at the helm of the Azerbaijan rhythmic gymnastics team from 2008 until 2021, after which she was appointed as deputy to sports minister Farid Gayibov, who holds influential positions within European and global gymnastics organizations.
Initial reports of alleged misconduct were made to the GEF in Switzerland in July 2020 after local inquiries failed to yield any disciplinary action. Vasileva and others involved attempted to dismiss several charges, claiming they had surpassed the legal time limits or that the allegations were false.
As a consequence of the investigation’s findings, the federation faced a fine of 30,000 Swiss francs (approximately $32,800) and is prohibited from participating in top-level FIG meetings for the next year. Furthermore, the federation’s safeguarding policies will be subject to scrutiny for a period of two years.
Judges involved in the case found Vasileva’s denial of causing any pain to gymnasts untrustworthy, leading to a lifetime ban from serving as head coach of any national federation. Vasileva, now 50, also lost a coaching honor from FIG and is required to undergo three months of safeguarding training before she can return to coaching, potentially as early as 2032.
In a related decision, Siyana Vasileva received an 18-month suspension, which is postponed for three years. While the verdict was pending, she contributed to coaching the Azerbaijan rhythmic gymnastics team, which secured a fifth-place finish at the Paris Olympics last year. Despite the ongoing controversy, she continues to serve as a member of the FIG Athlete Commission until 2025.
The FIG has announced that its executive committee plans to address the Azerbaijan case at an upcoming meeting next month. The decisions regarding the sanctions were not made public until December 31 and are subject to possible appeal.
