Gymnastics Australia has defended the engagement of a controversial American coach at the Australian championships in Melbourne this week and next.

Rhonda Faehn is a former international gymnast who was vice-president of USA Gymnastics, but left that post last year in the wake of the infamous Larry Nassar affair. Nassar is a doctor who is now serving a long jail term for abusing athletes.

Rhonda Faehn. Credit:AP

Faehn raised concerns about Nassar internally in 2015, and testified against him last year, but was criticised by triple Olympic gold medallist Aly Raisman, among others, for not going to authorities earlier.

In January this year, Faehn was hired by the University of Michigan, but after backlash was fired the next day. She is in Melbourne on a short-term appointment with the Waverley Gymnastics Centre, and is accredited at the national championships at Melbourne Arena – her title "future international team coach".