Viner, the President of the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation, was deemed by the Gymnastics Ethics Foundation (GEF) to have been "abusive and in violation of FIG rules" after her comments following Dina Averina's defeat at Tokyo 2020 to Israel's Linoy Ashram.

GEF proceedings also related to the alleged "retaliatory withdrawal" of Natalya Kuzmina's candidacy in the elections to the FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee shortly after the Olympics, as well as Viner's "failure to duly cooperate with the investigation".

Viner has told Russian news agency TASS that she will challenge the ruling which the Russian Artistic Gymnastics Federation, FIG's member in Russia, had said was an option after the ban was imposed on March 6.

The ban is due to take effect once the current FIG ban on Russian and Belarusian gymnasts and officials, imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine, is lifted, assuming this happens within five years from the date of the decision.

"I consider the sanctions imposed on me by the Gymnastic Ethics Foundation unfair and, after consulting with lawyers, I decided to appeal to the disciplinary tribunal," Viner said.

The GEF ruling means Viner is not allowed to participate in or receive accreditation for international competitions, including work as a coach, head of delegation or other official role.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has claimed that Viner's suspension is an example of "discrimination".

Uzbek-born Viner is considered one of the most successful rhythmic gymnastics coaches of all time, having trained the likes of Russian Olympic champions Evgeniya Kanaeva, Alina Kabaeva and Yulia Barsukova. 

Her methods have been considered controversial, however, with verbal abuse portrayed in the 2017 documentary Over the Limit.

Earlier this month, she was awarded the "gratitude of the President of the Russian Federation" prize at a ceremony held to recognise women in sport.

Ashram won in the individual all-around over Russia's Averina at Tokyo 2020, despite dropping the ribbon in her last discipline and several countries filing protests.

Viner described the judging as "egregiously unjust" and "simply a disgrace to rhythmic gymnastics" when speaking to Russia's state-funded broadcaster RT after the competition.

The FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics Technical Committee headed by Kuzmina did not find any evidence of bias and violations in the work of referees.

In September 2021, Viner told Russian media that the Russian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation had removed Kuzmina from the elections and would prepare a "normal" candidate.

Viner was married to Uzbek-born Russian oligarch and self-suspended International Fencing Federation President Alisher Usmanov for 30 years, before their divorce in May last year.