Not as bad as the Rita Saffioti WA CCC staffer, the sex, sleaze, Perth Mint scandal, Sanjagate scandal involving Roger Cook and the non disclosure of the Qantas Chairmans Lounge.
Not to mention the recent WA Institute of Sport scandal happening on Rita Saffioti and David Templeman's watch:Western Australian Institute of Sport chairman Neale Fong says an experienced member of police will conduct an additional review into the disturbing allegations made against former pole vault coach Alex Parnov.
Australian athletics has been rocked by the scandal this week whenallegations were made public.
In a bombshell report from The Australian it was alleged that Parnov preyed on some of Australia’s best young female athletes and his inappropriate behaviour was kept secret by the West Australian institute of Sport (WAIS) for more than a decade.
The claims, cited in a two-month investigation conducted by The Australian, are now being examined by WA Police.
The state body released a statement on Monday where the organisation said it “did not do enough to protect” athletes at the time when the alleged inappropriate behaviour took place.
A new board took control of WAIS governance in 2023 and Fong says the current administration had not been made aware of some of the allegations reported by The Australian.
Fong and the WAIS board issued an apology for the “hurt and trauma” suffered by female athletes.
“The current board of the WAIS is appalled by the behaviour of former WAIS employee Alex Parnov and the devastating effect on athletes who were entitled to be safe in their sporting environment,” Fong said in a statement.
Nina Kennedy with Alex Parnov and Kennedy competing at the world championships. Photo: Supplied and Christian Petersen/Getty Images for World Athletics.“While the current board has been aware of some allegations against Mr Parnov, the disturbing accounts published in The Australian newspaper are far more extensive than previously known.”
The WAIS confirmed Parnov has had no access to their venues since his employment was ceased in 2019. He had been coaching at the WAIS since 1998.
Australian golden girl Nina Kennedy was one of the women alleged to have been subjected to inappropriate behaviour by Parnov.
The 27-year-old won gold at this year’s Paris Olympics and shared the gold medal with American Katie Moon at the 2023 World Championships.
Kennedy told The Australian in a statement she made complaints to the WAIS and said a 2019 investigation into Parnov did not bring to light “the seriousness of the alleged misconduct”.
As reported by The Australian, allegations against Parnov were investigated by a private law firm in 2019. The findings of the investigation were not forwarded to WA Police.
WAIS chief executive Matt Fulton has told the newspaper the organisation now believes the matter should have been reported to police.
Fong has directly addressed Kennedy’s case and said the new board did not take action to reopen previous investigations into Parnov because it was the request made by the Olympic champion ahead of the Paris Games in July and August.
Kennedy competing at the Paris Olympics. (Photo by Andrej ISAKOVIC / AFP)Western Australian Sports Minister David Templeman has said he supports the WAIS board’s decision to abide by Kennedy’s request.
“I was made aware of allegations of inappropriate conduct involving a pole vault coach in November 2023,” Templeman said, per The West Australian.
“The new Board immediately instigated a review of the handling of the Parnov case and contracted an inspector of WA Police to carry out a review.
“When the review was completed I was informed that the athlete central to the allegation did not want the matter pursued while they were actively preparing for the Paris Olympics. I supported the Board and CEO in their decision to respect the athlete’s wishes.”
Templeman said WA Police and WAIS have begun discussions to establish a “dedicated complaints pathway” for athletes to raise any allegations of inappropriate behaviour directly with police.
Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti also addressed the matter on Monday, telling reporters: “I’m not fully briefed on what the allegations are but from I’ve seen (I’m) disgusted by what’s alleged to have occurred.”
WAIS has also directly addressed Kennedy’s case. The organisation has apologised for her “unacceptable” experience with Parnov.
When contacted by The Australian, Kennedy made a powerful statement urging “positive change” to protect athletes in Australia and internationally.
