[Rocha]

In the light of the latest Hollywood scandals, and the #metoo campaign, the sports world and gymnastics in particular is also now faced with a rape accusation of alleged facts that occurred more than than 26 years ago, involving two former Olympic Champions.

Belorussian legendary gymnast Vitaly Scherbo (winner of 6 gold medals at Barcelona 92, representing the CIS, among 3 other medals at Atlanta 96) is being accused by Ukrainian former USSR/CIS teammate and also Olympic gold medalist, Tatiana Gutsu.

In a Facebook post made last week, she accuses him of rapping her in 1991 when she was 15 years old, and he was 19, while also throwing jabs at former Olympic gold medalist Rustam Sharipov, and former teammate Tatyana Toropova, who supposedly where in the same room when the "rape" happened.

https://www.facebook.com/tatiana.gutsu.7...5966158431

Quote:

This is me being brave after 27 years.
Tatyana Toropova who I thought was my friend and a team mate in the National team of USSR thank you for not being brave for me when I need it you the most to stand , stand up for me and fight for the women rights in such a horrific act ,no means no.
You where there you heard everything you never stand stand up to protect me...
Rustam Sharipov thank you for being a great body for your friend and not protecting me as a little girl at 15.
Who rape me in Stuttgart Germany DTB 1991.
Vitaliy Sherbo.
Monster who kept me in my own prison to be afraid for so many years.
I know you will try to diffent yourself.
But my details are much stronger than your words.
I'm strong now then ever.
You can't brack me down anymore
This my Cinderela story.
I Survive you and I will supports anyone out there who is afraid to speak out I will try to gain my confidence and straight in myself to help others.
Thank you Gena Tay.

Asking to comment on the case, former teammate Tatyana Toropova said:

Tatiana Toropova Denies Gutsu's Rape Allegation But Says Vitaly Did Try To Make Out With Her

Quote:

Soviet Tatiana Toropova denied former teammate Tatiana Gutsu's rape allegation against legendary Soviet gymnast Vitaly Scherbo who won six gold medal at 1992 Olympics.

Gutsu, who won the 1992 Olympic all around title, alleged that Scherbo raped her when they were competing at Stuttgart Cup in 1991 in a Facebook post.

She said that Toropova was in the same room when the rape incident happened and that she chose to turn a blind eye and did not stand up for her.

"I want to say that I have no idea about any rape that could have happened when I was there. I did not see it, nothing like that happened," Toropova told other.sport.ua. "They were friends and that’s it. I was a kid at that time just as she was."

"Excuse me, we were athletes! I am sure that there was no crime. We were doing sports, and specifically at that time we came to compete, and not, pardon my French, to f***, right? In general, I can not say anything bad about her or about him."

Toropova said that she was shocked to hear that Gustu accused her of turning her back on her.

She recalled the night, Gutsu said she was raped. She said that when the men's competition ended in Stuttgart, Vitaly and Tatiana came to the room - which she and Tatiana stayed in- to celebrate and that Vitaly might have tried to make out with Tatiana but it was not rape.

She has also added that she does not remember Tatiana acting distressed.

"Yes, many years have passed, but rape… No, not with me in the room – nope," said Toropova.

Vitaly's mom denied the rape allegation against her son accusing Gutsu of being after her son's money and that she is seeking media attention.

Other former colleagues came already in Vitaly defense.

TATIANA GUTSU’S TEAMMATES AND SCHERBO’S MOTHER COMMENTED ON THE RAPE ALLEGATIONS

Quote:

Lydia Ivanova, who was one of the national team coaches at the time and coached the Unified team at the Barcelona Olympics, also commented on the matter and said that there were never any sexual abuse or harassment in artistic gymnastics in USSR. Considering, that all sports have their share of sexual abuse, her comment goes along with the famous “There is no sex in USSR” phrase.

Lydia Ivanova: “I do not want to talk in details about this and I think that this unseemly. Either she wants to earn money on this or get media attention, nothing more than that. It was unpleasant to suddenly hear about it. I’ve never seen any immodesty from this girl before. She was a good gymnast, at the high level. If there is a good, strong training session, what kind of sexual urges can there be? They [the gymnasts] would only want to drag their legs [to their beds], rest and then go to training again. I have very good memories of the life in sports during the Soviet Union period. The best. Discipline was at the highest level back then.”

Quote:

Svetlana Boginskaya, Gutsu’s teammate from the Unified team, left a comment on the original Facebook post by Gutsu. While Boginskaya said it was heartbreaking for her to hear the story, she defended Rustam Sharipov, who, according to Gutsu, was there and did nothing to protect her:

“I am very sorry to hear this story about Tatiana Gutsu, breaks my heart to know what she went trough … I am a Woman who will stand up for people i know and care about. One of the people in Tatiana’s story who i personally know for 28-29 years is Rustam Sharipov who i been with in many trips as a gymnast , many shows after Olympics, who personally stood up not only for me but many others who need it help in any situation . Rustam is one of the greatest people i ever met, he is good friend,coach,father and a husband to his wife. I just want to let others know that HE would NEVER stay and do nothing in situation like this.” [author’s spelling is preserved].

Quote:

Antonina Koshel, an Olympic champion and the deputy director of the Belarussian gymnastics federation also commented, saying that Scherbo couldn’t have done it:

“I don’t believe that this could have happened, that Vitaly is capable of such a thing. He’s the kind of a guy who couldn’t have offended someone like that. I don’t believe that she could be silent for 27 years and didn’t share it with anyone. Especially since she was a 15-year-old girl – that she didn’t share it, didn’t cry on anyone’s shoulder. I don’t know why would she say it. I guess, because of something else, so that people would think bad things about Vitaly… I can’t believe this and I wish other people wouldn’t think such bad things about him.”

   


From what I understood, all of these people now live in the US, and Vitaly Scherbo runs a successful business...

Also she waited for the Wall to come forward with this...

   

[Johnnyvee]

"and Vitaly Scherbo runs a successful business..."

Hmmmm...

[Kid Twist]

I remember that guy, was very happy for him and Belarus.

That wall pic almost made me throw up.