The three-time Olympian who exposed former pole vault coach Alex Parnov has revealed he was fired for defending female athletes.
Pole vault coach and three-time Olympian Paul Burgess has denounced the misconduct of his former coach Alex Parnov, who has been accused of sexually harassing athletes for decades.
Australian athletes, including Paris Olympics gold medal winner Nina Kennedy, have raised multiple allegations, including inappropriate touching, propositioning and coercion.
However, Burgess said those allegations were ignored or mishandled by sports authorities at the time they were raised in 2016.
“I knew I had been causing problems by demanding answers,” Burgess said. The Australian.
He saw the video of Parnov running his hands over Kennedy’s back and buttocks when she was just 18 years old and which was posted on Instagram by athlete Angus Armstrong in 2016.
Australian Olympian and coach Paul Burgess claims he was fired after raising misconduct allegations against former pole vault coach Alex Parnov.
A vision from 2016 shows Parnov running his hand across Kennedy’s back and buttocks when she was just 18 years old.
Despite providing evidence, including video of inappropriate contact with Nina Kennedy, WA Institute of Sport (WAIS) leadership dismissed his concerns and gave Parnov only an unofficial warning.
WAIS chief executive Steve Lawrence has since responded to those allegations, telling The Australian: “This matter is the subject of a confidential and legally privileged investigative report and I cannot make any further public comments on that confidential report.”
Burgess continued to push for action, citing systemic problems in the way WAIS handled complaints, but claims he encountered resistance and attempts to discredit him.
In 2019, WAIS terminated Parnov’s contract following an investigation that confirmed misconduct, but decided not to report the findings to police or reveal details publicly.
Burgess pushed for greater accountability, but his persistence sparked backlash, including being banned from WAIS facilities and accused of being mentally unstable.
In 2023, he lodged formal complaints against WAIS management, but the subsequent review undermined his credibility.
Ultimately, Burgess was pressured to resign in 2024, just months before the Paris Olympics.
“I was surprised that they were willing to ruin the Olympic pole vault program on the eve of Paris,” Burgess said.
Gold medal-winning Australian Olympian Nina Kennedy is one of seven athletes making complaints against former coach Alex Parnov.
Despite this, his athletes, including Kennedy, were successful and Kennedy won gold.
Daily Mail Australia contacted Parnov, who is now believed to live in Russia, but he did not respond.
Now, Athletics Australia wants to hear from other potential victims.
The governing body’s chief executive, Simon Hollingsworth, issued a statement on Saturday saying he “recognises the very disturbing reports about Alex Parnov’s conduct during his time as pole vault coach at the Western Australian Institute of Sports… between 1998 and 2019”.
State Police confirmed they are working with the institute and Sport Integrity Australia and “can confirm that matters relating to possible criminal conduct have been reported to WA Police for an independent assessment”.
Olympic gold medalist Nina Kennedy is among the athletes who spoke to The Australian about Parnov’s “harmful conduct” while she was coached by him.
Numerous complaints from athletes led to an investigation in 2019, which resulted in the institute terminating Russian-born Parnov’s contract.
“The reports identify patterns of behavior that are totally unacceptable and deeply distressing, and we deeply regret the harm they caused to athletes and staff,” Hollingsworth said.
Athletics Australia has addressed allegations against Alex Parnov (pictured), one of the country’s top coaches.
“We support those who have spoken out and encourage others who have experienced unacceptable behavior to come forward and speak to us confidentially so that further action can be taken.”
The Australian reported that Parnov is believed to be in Russia and had not responded to questions.
Police investigations continue.
“Given the sensitive nature of this matter with respect to potential victims, WA Police will not be providing any details on specific matters raised, nor confirmation of any potential investigation that may have commenced,” the statement read.
Parnov worked for the institute between 1998 and 2019.
The sports organization has been criticized for not acting firmly enough when complaints were made years before an investigation was launched in 2019.
“Upon being informed of the findings of the WAIS investigation in 2019, Athletics Australia revoked Mr Parnov’s coaching accreditation and imposed a lifetime ban on obtaining a new accreditation, ensuring he would no longer be able to participate in sport in Australia,” Hollingsworth said.
Numerous complaints from athletes led to an investigation in 2019, which resulted in the institute terminating Russian-born Parnov’s contract (Parnov pictured with Steve Hooker)
“In subsequent years, the AA issued clear directives to prevent his involvement in any athletics-related activities both in Australia and overseas.”
Hollingsworth said his organization will conduct a review of Parnov’s period of coaching both at the institute and with various Australian teams overseas.
“Athletics Australia has asked Sport Integrity Australia to support a review of how Athletics Australia acted during the period Mr Parnov was coaching in our sport, including how complaints about his behavior were handled,” he said.