Russian track athlete Anastasia Kolchina has accused banned coach Victor Chegin of threatening to ruin her reputation after an incident when she was 14.
Speaking in an interview published by Russian sports website Sports.ru, Kolchina detailed allegations against the former head coach of Russia's national race walking training centre.
Kolchina said an unpleasant incident occurred when she was 14 years old, which she initially reported to fellow athlete Olga Kaniskina. Kaniskina, an Olympic champion in the 20-kilometre race walk who also trained under Chegin, passed the information directly to the coach.
According to Kolchina, Chegin then summoned her to his office and warned her that no one would believe her story. She said the coach threatened to portray her as a fool and a whore, warning that she would end up dismissed as a little liar.
Kolchina also described Chegin's persistent presence at training facilities after he was officially barred from the sport. She said the disqualified coach continued to walk around the indoor track arena and move about the training centre in a towel on his way to the sauna.
She noted that Chegin frequently boasted to those present that nothing would happen to him despite his official sanctions. Kolchina characterized his actions as complete recklessness and a pathology, stating that she had decided to turn toward courage, truth, and freedom instead.
Lifetime Ban and Doping Scandals
Chegin was once considered one of the most prominent figures in international athletics, serving as the chief architect of Russia's dominance in world race walking. Operating out of the Olympic training centre in Saransk, he coached dozens of athletes to major championship titles over two decades.
However, Chegin was banned from athletics for life in 2016 following extensive investigations into systemic doping within his training group. Anti-doping authorities imposed the permanent ban after establishing widespread violations of anti-doping rules under his supervision.
More than 20 athletes trained by Chegin have faced suspensions for using banned performance-enhancing substances. Among his former pupils was Kaniskina, who won gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in the women's 20-kilometre race walk before later anti-doping sanctions affected her career records.
Institutional Context in Russian Athletics
The disclosures surrounding Chegin's Saransk facility formed a significant part of the wider anti-doping investigations that led to international sanctions against Russian track and field athletes. Despite receiving a lifetime exclusion from all official coaching roles, allegations have repeatedly emerged regarding Chegin's continued presence at sports facilities and involvement with training groups.
Kolchina's public account offers new insight into the internal environment of the training centre and the conduct of the disgraced coach following his exclusion from official sport.
