Cambridge gymnastics coach's lifetime ban upheld in 'precedent setting' case, lawyer says

A Cambridge, Ont., gymnastics coach who was banned from the sport last year over bullying of athletes has had an appeal of the earlier ruling denied by an arbitrator.

Gymnastics Canada permanently banned Elvira Saadi from working with athletes in November 2023. The decision came after an investigation into allegations of maltreatment by several athletes.

Saadi appealed the decision this year through the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada but a decision dated June 24 denied her appeal.

Saadi, 72, is a two-time Olympic gold medallist and coached the Canadian Olympic gymnastics team in 1996, 2000, 2012, and 2020. She also co-owned Dynamo Gymnastics Club in Cambridge.

Toronto-based sports lawyer Amanda Fowler, who represented an unnamed current athlete in the proceedings, called the decision to deny Saadi's appeal "precedent setting."

"This is the first type of sanction in the world to award a lifetime ban for non-sexual maltreatment. And I think that's really important to send the message to the sport community that athlete well-being is important and athlete well-being is important across all levels," she said.

Fowler said the panel found Saadi had mistreated a number of athletes over the course of 13 years.

"It went through an investigation phase," Fowler said. "It determined that all of the complaints had merit and that they did in fact happen."

The mistreatment included "things like body shaming, name calling, criticizing athletes, yelling and screaming at them, creating a toxic work environment, limiting food and water intake, dispensing non-prescribed pills and supplements, persuading them to train while injured and really serious things like that," Fowler said.

Saadi was handed a lifetime ban when it came to training athletes. She also has been banned for 10 years from training other coaches. She is prohibited from engaging in any other Gymnastics Canada-related activities for life including judging, officiating, attending competitions and developing content for training or competitions.

After 10 years, Saadi would also need to undergo training to be able to train coaches.

The decision by Carol Roberts, the arbitrator with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, said Saadi appealed the Gymnastics Canada ban because "the investigation and the disciplinary proceedings were unfair" and the "sanction imposed by the panel was not within a reasonable range of penalties."

Fowler told CBC News the decision is final and Saadi has no more options to appeal it.

Elliott Saccucci is a lawyer in Toronto who worked on behalf of Saadi as part of the proceedings.