GAGE Coaches Al Fong and Armine Buratyan-Fong Suspended By U.S. Center For SafeSport

The U.S. Center for SafeSport has suspended U.S. Olympic gymnastics coaches Al Fong and Armine Barutyan-Fong for alleged emotional and physical misconduct.

After appearing in the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database on Monday, ​both appeared on USA Gymnastics’ page for Suspended & Restricted Persons, indicating them as participants “subject to restrictive measures issued by USA Gymnastics and/or the U.S. Center for SafeSport.”

A link to USA Gymnastics Suspended and Restricted Persons page can be found here.

Fong will serve a five-year suspension through Dec. 22, 2030. 12/22/2025 to 12/22/2030

Buratyan-Fong’s suspension can be lifted after one year. 12/22/2025 to 12/22/2026

Fong and Barutyan-Fong own Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, Missouri. They have coached a number of top athletes throughout the years during their club and Elite careers including two-time Olympic alternate Leanne Wong, 2020 Olympic alternate Kara Eaker, LSU star and 2024 Olympian for the Philippines Aleah Finnegan, 2012 Olympic alternate Sarah Finnegan, 2004 two-time Olympic silver medalist Terin Humphrey, 2004 Olympic silver medalist Courtney McCool, 2015 World team gold medalist Brenna Dowell, and current junior Lavi Crain, who recently won vault, placed third with the team, and fourth in the All-Around at the recent 2025 Junior World Championships, Manila, Philippines.

Al Fong also coached 1989 World Championship team member Christy Henrich, who passed away in 1991 from multiple organ failure due to years battling anorexia nervosa. Henrich’s struggle was well-documented in Joan Ryan’s controversial book Little Girls in Pretty Boxes.

Julissa Gomez, who was considered a contender for the 1988 Olympics, died three years after breaking her neck (which paralyzed her from the neck down) in an accident on vault during the 1988 World Sports Fair in Japan. Gomez was coached first by Bela Karolyi, before moving to Fong’s gym, where she was training prior to the accident.

In 2023, the Orange Country Register reported Fong was under investigation stating the probe of the controversial coach had been ongoing since 2020.

The article stated that: “The investigation of Fong, which has not been previously reported, has been ongoing since at least June 2020 and is in response to approximately 40 allegations of abuse, according to four people familiar with the investigation and U.S. Center for SafeSport documents.

The time of when the alleged abuse took place ranges from the early 2000s to recent years, according to three people familiar with the investigation and documents.”

Photos by Lloyd Smith for Inside Gymnastics