“Deeply Dissatisfied”: Gymnastics Stars’ Parents Makes Heartbreaking Confession After Coach’s Sudden Suspension

It is just like the darkness residing right below the light. Last year, the 2024 Canterbury Sport and Recreation Awards had 53 finalists. The names were collected from a staggering 138 nominations from several sporting codes. The award was, however, to celebrate the contributions of the respective individuals in the concerned sports in New Zealand. You can guess that the nomination list had some of the iconic names from the country’s sporting fraternity. The problem is that the same list had a gymnastics coach as the finalist who had serious allegations against her. Surprisingly, the key authorities knew of the allegations against her. Yet she found a place in the final. Why? The questions are still on the way. 

Elena Mesheryakova, the gymnastics coach of Christchurch United Gymnastics Club, was handed a suspension by Gymnastics New Zealand last year. She had to spend six weeks away from the gymnastics facility. She had grave charges against her. As per the report published by The New Zealand Herald, the coach used “physically and verbally abusive coaching methods.” Such a coaching method impacted the students physically and mentally. The parents of the students had complained about something serious. 

According to the budding gymnasts’ parents, Elena’s coaching methods seriously impacted their kids. The kids actually faced disordered eating habits and their body image had also changed. Such a grave situation indeed!

Now, parents think that the coach didn’t face a suitable penalty appropriate for what she did. Also, she will return to the job very soon. Watching such an irresponsible handling of the matter by the authorities, a parent told The New Zealand Herald, “I am deeply dissatisfied with the punishment given to the coach involved, serious misconduct regarding the poor treatment of children is not something to be ignored.” The parent wasn’t the only one who felt frustrated by the authority’s way of handling the situation. 

As per the report published by the Herald, Mesheryakova had some uncanny way to deal with her mentees. She would yell at the kids and keep them starved for hours. The situation would reach a different point when she would become adamant in pushing the gymnasts to attain perfection in their drills. She would do that irrespective of time. Things like these were bound to irk the parents, and that’s what they did. The parent’s argument mentioned earlier was evidence of the dissatisfaction. There was another such voice who felt that the authority’s actions were not sufficient.

Another parent said, “The actions taken do not reflect the severity of the situation, nor do they adequately prioritise the safety and wellbeing of the young individuals affected, and those who could be affected in the future. This outcome sends the wrong message about accountability and responsibility in safeguarding children.” And what about the authority’s submission on the point?

According to the Herald’s update, Gymnastics New Zealand (GNZ) received complaints about Elena Mesheryakova in late 2023. But the investigation report only came on February 28 this year. So there was a long gap between the action and the result. The parents didn’t fail to notice this light approach. Prompt action could have made a difference, they thought. However, GNZ CEO Andrea Nelson didn’t seem to agree with them. Rather, GNZ’s official release claimed, “GNZ is working with the club to put an appropriate plan in place. The [GNZ Sport Integrity Unit] will review the proposed plan prior to the coach returning to coaching to ensure it is fit for purpose.” Now, talking about problematic behavior from coaches, even Olympics gold winner Jordan Chiles has had an experience of such trouble. 

Jordan Chiles remembers the questionable part of her gymnastics past 

In the initial phase of her gymnastics career, Jordan Chiles had to face a certain Coach X who made her suffer physically and mentally. The coach made her believe that she was the best coach for her. Coach X even gave Jordan’s parents the same logic. But she utilized the time to criticize Jordan’s every move, her lifestyle, and whatnot. She even called the budding gymnast “Stinkerball, you’re lazy.” Every such call pierced Chiles’ heart and mind. She stopped finding joy in the sport she adored most. Ultimately, a certain thought came into her mind. 

The thought, as Jordan claimed in her interaction with People was, “I wanted to get it off my chest. I wanted to let people know that I had really, really down times. I’ve been in the dark, I’ve been in the deepest part of the ocean.” Eventually, such thoughts pushed her to think of s—— as an escape from her life. Fortunately, she had Simone Biles to save her. But do the young gymnasts in Christchurch United Gymnastics Club have a character like Simone to give them a helping hand? The parents are rightfully demanding answers.