Irina Deriugina suspended
April 23, 2008 by northernriver
Rick at Gymnastics Coaching and International Gymnast report that Deriugina was indeed suspended from the FIG. She is the coach of current rhythmic World all-around champion Anna Bessonova (UKR), whose emotional win in 2007 halted the seeming dominance of Irina Viner’s rhythmic gymnasts.
Rhythmic fans find Deriugina’s firing to be VERY fishy.
- For one thing, it was already a shocker that Bessonova could finally defeat her longtime competitor Irina Chaschina (RUS) and surmount the rampant corruption in the rhythmic gymnastics circle dominated by Irina Viner, who by all accounts is worthy of being called a Mafia don.
- Viner, as a Top Dog in the rhythmic governing body, has allegedly twisted the rules in favor of her own gymnasts in the past; these rule changes notably benefited Alina Kabaeva in the 2004 Olympics. Now with Bessonova–a gymnast Viner does not coach–leading the pack entering Beijing, most fans were afraid that Viner might to something to sabotage Bessonova’s chances afterwards, and this only supports their fears.
- Deriugina herself has been accused of corruption, in 2000 when she apparently lowballed Elena Vitrichenko (UKR) because she was from a different gym in Kiev.
But compared to Viner’s iron fist, Deriugina seems like just another victim of the system.
Hey, maybe I should watch rhythmic gymnastics this summer…
