Gym Coach Arrested Again After Two More Former Athletes Report Sexual Abuse

Evgeny Yordanov, a 51-year-old gymnastics coach from Kiryat Ono, was arrested again on Tuesday on suspicion of sexually assaulting two additional gymnasts. The women, now in their 20s, contacted police in recent days and said he abused them about seven years ago, when they were 12 and 13 and trained under him.

He was brought to Tel Aviv Magistrate’s Court, where police requested that his detention be extended for the investigation. The court granted the request and kept him in custody until June 28.

The new arrest comes about two weeks after prosecutors in Tel Aviv filed a severe indictment against Yordanov in the Tel Aviv District Court, through attorney Nitzan Friedman of the Tel Aviv District Prosecutor’s Office. That indictment alleges a series of sexual offenses against two underage gymnasts he coached on the national team between 2016 and 2020, in Israel and abroad, while exploiting his authority over them. The charges include rape, invasion of privacy, blackmail by threats, and indecent acts.

According to the indictment, one complainant traveled with the team to training camps and competitions abroad without family members and was fully under Yordanov’s care. As part of the broader investigation, police also questioned Yordanov’s wife, who is also a national-team coach, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit a felony. Investigators suspect she knew about the alleged abuse and may in some cases have helped cover it up. Judge Roy Perry said the suspicion against her was not yet strong, but barred her from coaching minors for seven days. Her name and identifying details remain under a publication ban. Police are now examining the new testimonies and whether they are linked to the existing case.