f i g --: The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) has suspended vice-president Michel Léglise in the latest development in the ongoing rhythmic gymnastics judges' course row. The Frenchman has been stripped of his duties as both vice-president and a member of the FIG Presidential Commission until August 31, 2016, after a Disciplinary Commission ruled he had committed "supervisory negligence" at an Intercontinental Judges' Course he ran in Bucharest, Romania, in December 2012.
Michel Léglise (FRA) |
"Pursuant to article 43.2 of the FIG Statutes, Dr Léglise was blamed in respect of his failure to comply with the written directives of FIG President Bruno Grandi, and with supervisory negligence while administering and marking course examinations in Bucharest," read a statement from gymnastics' world governing body.
Léglise is also being ordered to return all allowances received during the running of the course.
The action against him came following a request from Natalia Kuzmina, President of the Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee, who had originally been suspended - along with other officials - until a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in April this year upheld their appeal against what she called "false" allegations about "irregularities" at the course.
The Russian exclusively told inside the games last year that she believed the spate of punishments against officials in the discipline was because the FIG was "trying to discredit rhythmic gymnastics from the list of Olympic sports".
Allegations of irregularities at the global judges' courses first arose in June last year when the FIG claimed it had identified that participants had the same scores and same percentages, and had received "arbitrary and unjustified" bonuses.
Léglise now has 21 days to lodge an appeal against the sanction.
* source: f i g press release
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* Dec 2013: > FIG-Appeal rules Rhythmic Gymnastics case...