GAGE coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan suspended by SafeSport (Pending appeal) 2/26/26: USAG terminates GAGE membership

[cuuf]

Honestly not too worried about the elites, many of them are already probably transplants from other cities that moved there. Its the DP kids, the L10s who are at the end of their season and are no where as mobile as the elites

 

[rlayt]

I’m going to guess this is why some members of staff are leaving.

 

[RedBirdie]

Gymcastic has posted the letter USAG sent to GAGE families

 

[RichardL]

I was a club coach and I just can't imagine how it must feel as a L10 trying to get in front of college coaches this season for possible recruitment. Or to be a parent who now has to decide what to do moving forward. And not to mention what a bizarre (probable) end to one of the most prominent gyms in US gymnastics, regardless of how you felt about their methods etc.

 

[RedBirdie]

Chow’s in Des Moines too, but none of them are commutable. They’d have to move.

It takes about 3 hours just to drive from Kansas City to the center of Missouri. Nothing is nearby.

I'm sure Chow still has wonderful, college-bound level 10s. But when was the last time he coached any elites? Genuinely, because I can't remember. Norah Flatley, maybe?

 

[hmmmm]

Will the gym just switch to NGA? The top athletes will still need to leave to pursue their goals.

 

[QuietColours]

And Chow's dealing with lawsuits for not properly vetting his coaches and having a coach with repeated history of sexually abusing athletes on the staff

 

[QuietColours]

I'm assuming we'll see Leanne's affiliation change back to Florida in the next day or two

 

[Ginger]

So Al and Armine were suspended, not surprising. But Davenport and Grimes, why?

 

[cftmoonlight79]

I think they were suspended for not reporting that Al and Armine were still at GAGE and not obeying the no contact.

 

[RedBirdie]

My understanding is Grimes was designated as the person in charge of GAGE while Al and Armine were suspended. Grimes knowingly allowed them to be in the gym, which is an undisputable violation of both their suspensions and of GAGE's duties as a USAG member club. So Grimes also got suspended.

Then Davenport was designated as the person in change and the exact same thing happened with allowing Al and Armine in the gum. So, GAGE gets their membership revoked, Davenport gets suspended.

I would not be surprised if Al and Armine get additional suspensions or are outright banned for life. Its very cut and dried: they are suspended from any and all contact with a USAG member club, USAG-registered gymnasts, USAG-registered coaches, USAG events, all of it. They knowingly violated that multiple times. They were warned to stop and continued to violate the terms of their suspension.

 

[makam]

Can another club move into the building. "Attention gymnastics fans, NOTGAGE, an exciting new gymnastics club is opening soon near you! World class facilities, coaches that are definitely not under investigation, ̶Ea̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶d̶i̶s̶o̶r̶d̶e̶r̶s̶ fun for all ages!"

 

[BB12]

Yes. They will need to find a new gym.

So the Milton sisters and the Crain sisters have to find new gyms for the elite season.

Some comments on a Gage's athletes tiktok page saying the Crain's have moved to France to train

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Whoa, France?? They have family there or something? Hopefully just temporary and they can find a good club here.