An investigation by The Australian into the alleged misbehaviour of former pole vault coach Alex Parnov has prompted police involvement.
The coach, who worked at the West Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) from 1998 until he was sacked in 2019, allegedly “preyed upon” female athletes during his tenure as a pole vault coach. The report also alleges that accusations levelled against Parnov were not acted on by the sporting bodies that knew about them. WA Police are now assessing “potential criminal conduct” from the Russian-born coach.
Investigation into Alex Parnov
The Australian investigated claims that Parnov had behaved inappropriately as a coach. It alleges Parnov “groomed, propositioned, sexually harassed and inappropriately touched multiple young female athletes in his care”. Seven female athletes, including Olympic champion Nina Kennedy, who were coached by Parnov and subject to his behaviour spoke to The Australian.
In 2019, WAIS hired a law firm to investigate reports they had received, and subsequently sacked Parnov. The reports were not passed on to the police.
WAIS and Athletics Australia’s responses
Both WAIS and Athletics Australia released statements in response to The Australian’s investigation. WAIS’s statement apologised to the victims of Parnov’s alleged behaviour and encouraged anyone affected to either contact Western Australian police or access mental health support through the Australian Institute of Sport. The statement also said that the current board of the organisation, appointed in 2023, was aware of some allegations of misbehaviour but not to the extent revealed by The Australian’s investigation.
Athletics Australia said that when Parnov was fired in 2019, he was banned for life from coaching athletics in Australia. The organisation took additional action to ensure Parnov would not be able to coach internationally either.
Investigation
Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy said: “I’ve been fighting this battle behind closed doors, in my own way, while trying to reach and succeed at the pinnacle of my sport. This story has weighed on my shoulders for many years. It was only once my coach resigned that I felt like I could fulfil my potential and see what I could do in the sport; all the other individuals didn’t get that chance – which is heartbreaking.”
Part of the WAIS statement read: “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… 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.”
What’s next?
Parnov is believed to be in his home country of Russia. Australia does not have an agreement with Russia allowing the ‘extradition’ (removal) of people from the country to face charges. This means that Parnov can’t be arrested unless he travels to another country that does have a treaty with Australia.
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