Oleg Verniaiev suspension may be a case of doping
Oleg Verniaiev (UKR) has been provisionally suspended by the FIG for approximately a month, and now we might have an inkling as to why the reigning Olympic parallel bars champion and all-around silver medalist is in danger of not being eligible for the Tokyo Olympics.
The head coach of the men’s national team of Ukraine, Gennady Sartynsky, recently commented on the suspension.
“I read on the website that he was removed,” Sartynsky told sport.ua. “Now, there is an [investigation], I can’t tell more. What is the reason for this decision? The International Gymnastics Federation has said nothing yet. When all this is clarified, then we will talk. Yes, maybe it’s about doping. But so far they have said nothing. This is private information for now. Did Oleg miss the European Championship because of this decision? It’s all there together. And injuries, and everything else. Now, Oleg is not doing anything yet.”
On January 4, the FIG confirmed Verniaiev’s suspension in a statement to Gymnastics Now, saying the Ukrainian star “is provisionally suspended until the end of the procedure that is currently in progress. The FIG will not comment on an ongoing procedure.”
While there is no information on how long the FIG’s investigation will take, when the final decision will be made, or how long the suspension could be for, this is a huge blow to Ukraine’s National Team in the Olympic year. Verniaiev has long been considered the country’s best chance at individual medals in Tokyo.
Last month, Verniaiev withdrew from the 2020 European Championships, which both the men’s and women’s Ukrainian teams eventually won.
Sartynsky previously said Verniaiev withdrew from the meet due to “minor injuries” and the need to finish his PHD dissertation, but per Gymnovosti, his FIG license was already listed as suspended on December 11. The competition was held from December 9 to 13.
