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

[RedBirdie]

Wong's coaches were never changed to Al and Armine on USAG's site. Gyms are automatically changed when someone updates their USAG membership, but coaches have to be done manually, and it's a very low priority task.

 

[RedBirdie]

Here's Malea's instagram post about her fractures

 

[Ginger]

Have any of the gymnasts there announced a new gym yet?

Per Nastia Liukin Cup web page, Tenley Wade is in Fuzion now.

 

[cftmoonlight79]

Whatever happened with the Nastia Qualifier Gage was supposed to host?

 

[Ginger]

I don't think GAGE was supposed to host any Elite/NLC qualifier this season. 2026 Dragon Invitational (the meet that used to be a NLC or elite qualifier in the past) was held Feb 7-8, results: https://www.meetscoresonline.com/Results/36250

 

[BB12]

Here's Malea's instagram post about her fractures

No surprise this happens at a place like GAGE but where were her parents for this? How do you hear your child has wrist fractures then still send her off each day to train on them.

 

[MaryClare]

The Malea situation goes to show just how pathological GAGE’s mentality was. There was absolutely nothing to be gained from pushing a 2nd tier elite to train and compete through fractures. Other than a belief that it demonstrates commitment or toughness.

I do think that parents are the elephant in the room within the gymnastics community. Abusive and negligent coaching is rightly condemned but in the majority of cases, parents are well aware of a coaches/gyms reputation. But they still send their kids there, because to them, the “trade off” is worth it.

 

[QuietColours]

I'm reminded of Riley's failed attempt to sue Maggie Haney, when the evidence submitted showed her parents were fully complicit in all the overtraining, injury pushing, and disorder eating issues that were going on.

 

[Puffin]

Some parents are just insane.

I remember - back in the day - when a coach (with a long history of molesting gymnasts and hopping clubs) was at Andrea Bieger's gym in Florida was arrested for molesting a 10 year old girl. A large group of parents and their kids held a demonstration at his bond hearing, holding up signs declaring his innocence, wrote letters of support and the booster club urged club parents to contribute to his legal costs ... while the 10 year old was shunned.

Some parents just don't want to hear about abuse

 

[RedBirdie]

I think the most fascinating, and distressing, thing in the wonderful book summaries @QuietColours has been doing is just how complicit parents are, and how casual they are about owning that. Oh yeah, we heard he had a terrible temper, our kid suffered injury after injury after injury that coach never let her take time off for and fully heal, coach screamed and yelled at us and kicked us out of the gym, the list goes on and on. And these parents are just like "but what were we supposed to do, we wanted her to be an Olympian! We're such great parents for making that dream come true!"

 

[Puffin]

I think the most fascinating, and distressing, thing in the wonderful book summaries @QuietColours has been doing is just how complicit parents are, and how casual they are about owning that. Oh yeah, we heard he had a terrible temper, our kid suffered injury after injury after injury that coach never let her take time off for and fully heal, coach screamed and yelled at us and kicked us out of the gym, the list goes on and on. And these parents are just like "but what were we supposed to do, we wanted her to be an Olympian! We're such great parents for making that dream come true!"

Yes - that struck me as well. It's like they got the Olympic rings in their eyes and all rational thoughts about abuse and training on injuries went right out of the window