UPDATE (September 11, 2026): Al Fong and Armine Barutyan were both permanently banned by USA Gymnastics and SafeSport on Friday. The decisions are still listed as subject to appeal.

ORIGINAL (December 23, 2025): The U.S. Center for SafeSport has issued suspensions to long-time elite gymnastics coaches and GAGE owners Alvin “Al” Fong and Armine Barutyan, per the USCS Centralized Disciplinary Database.

USA Gymnastics’ Suspended & Restricted Persons Database further revealed the following suspension lengths:

  • Al Fong has been suspended for five years (from 12/22/2025 to 12/22/2030)
  • Armine Barutyan has been suspended for one year (from 12/22/2025 to 12/22/2026)

Both suspensions are listed as “subject to appeal / not yet final.”

Fong and Barutyan are married and own Great American Gymnastics Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs, Missouri – one of the most prominent elite gymnastics clubs in the United States, known for producing national team members, world medalists, and Olympians over the past few decades.

A decision years in the making

The SafeSport action follows a multi-year investigation into Fong that became public in early 2023, when the Orange County Register reported that the U.S. Center for SafeSport was examining allegations of physical, emotional, and verbal misconduct tied to his coaching methods. Former gymnasts and parents described a training environment they alleged involved verbal and physical mistreatment of athletes that raised concerns under SafeSport’s abuse prevention standards.

SafeSport’s public database identifies the misconduct category as Physical & Emotional Misconduct – a classification that falls under non-sexual abuse within the SafeSport Code.

What the suspensions do – and do not – mean

According to the SafeSport registry:

  • Both coaches are prohibited from participating in USA Gymnastics–sanctioned activities during the suspension period.
  • This includes coaching, training, judging, or any role involving contact with athletes in SafeSport-covered programs.
  • Additional conditions for the suspension include required education, no-contact directives, and probationary terms.

Importantly, while the suspensions specify defined lengths — five years for Fong and one year for Barutyan — they are not yet final and can be appealed.

Impact on GAGE and the sport

The suspensions carry significant implications for GAGE, which currently trains elite athletes who factor at the junior and senior level within USA Gymnastics and are looking to continue their careers at the collegiate level. While SafeSport sanctions apply to individuals rather than clubs, the athletes at GAGE will undoubtedly be impacted.

The case represents one of the most consequential disciplinary actions involving high-profile elite coaches in recent years and underscores the continued shift toward accountability and athlete-welfare enforcement within U.S. gymnastics.

Will Fong and Barutyan return to coaching?

Fong and Barutyan’s suspensions are active and enforceable as of the date of issuance: December 22, 2025. They retain the right to appeal the sanctions, which could result in the suspensions being upheld, modified, reduced, or otherwise altered.

Until the appeal process concludes, the suspensions function as protective and restrictive measures intended to safeguard athletes while the disciplinary process reaches a final resolution. If the decisions hold, Fong and Barutyan can return to coaching at the conclusion of their respective suspensions.

GAGE Center responds to sanctions

GAGE issued a statement on Tuesday responding to the sanctions and confirming that Fong and Barutyan will appeal:

“We have been notified of the U.S. Center for Safe Sport’s decision regarding allegations that date back more than three decades.

“While we fully support the mission of SafeSport and the importance of creating healthy, safe training environments for athletes, we are deeply disappointed by this outcome and respectfully disagree with the findings.

“These determinations were made without eyewitness testimony and through a committee-based process. We believe the decision does not fairly reflect the full record or context and we intend to exercise our right to arbitration.

“Our focus remains on athlete safety, the wellbeing of our gym community, and ensuring that this matter is addressed through the proper legal channels. Out of respect for the process, we will not be commenting further at this time.”