She finally got the courage to publicly share what she was going through and how she was raped by a person who she had trusted as her coach and who would guide her to glory. Peter Oppegard a bronze medal winner at the 1988 US Olympic games and Hall of Famer allegedly bit skater Jessica Pfund, who was 15 at the time, at East West Ice Palace in Artesia, California, after he became furious with her during a practice session in 2013, an investigation by USA Today Sports and SafeSport reveals. Jenni Meno-Sand, his wife, co-coach and former skating partner, was on her way from Orange County to Alberta on Thursday morning. Ms Abitbol, who is now 44, said she was. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'skateperfect_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_2',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-skateperfect_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[120,600],'skateperfect_com-large-mobile-banner-2','ezslot_3',116,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-skateperfect_com-large-mobile-banner-2-0_1'); .large-mobile-banner-2-multi-116{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:600px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. It was down to pure fear and lack of empowerment something the MeToo movement changed forever and provided confidence to every woman to speak out. Ice packs and first aid supplies will be available. After the meteoric rise of Yulia Lipnitskayathe little girl in red at the 2014 Olympicsand Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedevas rivalry at the 2018 Games, there came figure skatings quad revolution. Read top stories this year about Ice Skating. Pfund said the bruise lasted for at least a week. These Eteri girls could land countless quadruple jumps and win all the medals awarded, at every single competition. Figure Skating/Jay Adeff). The victims of this abuse are at risk of depression, anxiety, and anorexia. BEIJING (AP) The gold medalist said she felt empty. Secondly, even SafeSport, a blessing as it may be, is severely underfunded and overburdened. Craig Maurizi, the former skater turned Olympic coach who first reported the allegations to SafeSport, declined to comment, but his attorney Ilene Jaroslaw of the New York-based firm Phillips Nizer LLP said the decision calls the credibility of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which has exclusive jurisdiction over allegations of sexual misconduct Kwans family owns and operates Artesia rink in California. Kristen Spours had to completely relearn to skate after injury All of the skaters featured in the series are inspirational, but Kristen Spours' story of overcoming injury stands out. Figure Skating Hall of Fame, and Silvia Fontana, a 2002 and 2006 Olympian representing . There will be more to unfold Im sure. Hes married to estranged wife Karen Kwan, an elite figure skater in the 1990s and the older sister of Michelle Kwan, a five-time world champion who won two Olympic medals. She would have put her entire budding career on the line by coming forward, so she chose to live in silence. All the while, the Karolyis were treated as celebrities and heroes, able to mold children into champions. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'skateperfect_com-box-4','ezslot_21',109,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-skateperfect_com-box-4-0'); The power imbalances can be due to the age difference, designation, or seniority. In other scenes, judges comment on her hairstyle. Olympic figure skating coach Peter Oppegard seen in 2010. In both cases we are judged on our appearances. This is another type of bullying and abuse kids face in the figure skating world. The people who face this type of bully are so stressed that they have to leave the sport they love because there is no one in the entire club to become a partner in the ice dance class. Following the Pairs Short Program at the World Figure Skating Championships yesterday It is also hard for Chinese athletes to speak out. The three times national champion, the 2016 world silver medallist, said in an interview in August 2019 that her fellow skater John Coughlin, a two time US pair champion, sexually assaulted her after a party at a national team camp in Colorado in June 2008, when she was just 17 and Coughlin was 22. The abusive nature of what Valieva and her teammates Anna Shcherbakova (17 years), who won gold, and Alexandra Trusova (17 years old), who won silver, were being subjected to was on full, excruciating display on Thursday night during the Long program. Report immediately to the U.S. Center for SafeSport online or 720-531-0340. The scale read 124 pounds, and the coach replied, Thats a big number.. Usually, girls are in their teens when they compete at the elite level, whereas male skaters are above the age of 19. And it is also clear that the governing body whose only responsibility is to protect athletes have completely failed to do so. Young girls will put on weight as they reach this stage in their life, its natural. This story has been shared 150,981 times. All rights reserved. When world silver medalist Ashley Wagner broke her silence early last month about the sexual misconduct former U.S. figure skating champion John Coughlin committed against her, she perfectly articulated the reason why victims hesitate to come forward. The International Skating Union has suspended two commentators and launched an investigation after they were caught on air calling one figure skating coach a "bitch," admitted they didn't watch women's figure skating, repeatedly misgendered one competitor, and just generally made asses of themselves. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Scandal-scarred figure skater facing four-year Olympic ban, Nathan Chen still hopes US team can celebrate medal after Russian doping scandal, American teen makes figure skating history landing incredible jump, Broken system: Tara Lipinski eviscerates new figure skating age limit, investigation by USA Today Sports and SafeSport reveals. Thirdly, while on the topic of committees, the ISU itself could also set up an internal committee to look into the safety of figure skaters, thereby providing a model where figure skaters could report such incidents while maintaining anonymity, if need be, and the committee could then investigate the accused person, be it a coach or a fellow peer. Young skaters are therefore placed on a strict diet, with back to back on-ice and off- ice training schedules to burn calories. Yu said she was regularly hit with a plastic skate guard after she made mistakes and another punishment involved being kicked so hard with the toe-pick of a skate that it bloodied her shin and left a lasting scar. The last two Olympics cycles show an enhanced emphasis on gravity-defying jumps, and therefore younger girls are being pushed early to the senior arena, for, as Alysa Liu said, once girls hit puberty and start developing muscles, they have to learn to jump all over again. Heres a look into Jessica Shurah Yus eye-opening story, shedding light on the horrors some figure skaters face. If you want to know what it takes to become an elite figure skater, then you will find awe-inspiring athletes and real stories in new BBC Three figure-skating documentary Freeze. Beyers even told her to keep this a secret and Sarah felt guilty ever since as she would have done something wrong. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company. Those in power in the figure skating world heard and saw all of this, and responded by celebrating Eteri Tutberidzes accomplishments. Two years ago, two Swedish skaters went public with the abuse they faced ranging from the conventional body shaming to being compelled to compete with injuries. Either they competed while injured, or they were replaced. USA: National Sexual Assault Hotlineat 800.656.HOPE (4673)or USA.GOV. It was dehumanising.. Feb 17, 2022. A prominent Olympic figure skating coach has been accused of physically abusing skaters including biting a female student during a training session eight years ago, according to a report. This system needs to shift its focus from appearance to taking care of the skaters who make skating successful in the first place. Already got the Winter Olympics buzz? I was called over and kicked on the bone of my shin with a toe-pick of a blade and made to try again. There are many commentators speaking out about the aggressive training regimes to the point, where young girls are sacrificing their bodies and driven to breaking point. I'm learning more as I interact with skaters across the world. This makes creates stress and depression which damages their careers. Without it, I know people will question my credibility. But it did not happen and she had to make a decision. People like Gilles Beyer are so used to doing such things that Sarah was just another victim for him and never cared what would happen next. They could lose their spot and their careers could end. All these years, she spoke to no one except for the French ministry in 2008 where nobody took it seriously and Beyers continued to coach young skaters. Richard Gauthier was on trial on three charges in. The girl and her parents also said Cipres' coaches, John Zimmerman, a 2002 Olympian and member of the U.S. Eteri Tutberidze, the coach of last years Pyeongchang Olympic ladies gold and silver medalists, adheres to strict practices at her rink. I was made to feel so small. Btw autotranslator gave me only Yuzu and Mura from all men We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article . As with the Karolyis, Eteri Tutberidzes abuse was an open secret. The first episode airs at 21:00 GMT on the new BBC Three Channel on Saturday 5 February, with. Ashley said that we are very far behind in making the sport safe for every young kid who aspires to be a figure skater in the future. Skaters who dont fit this archetype can hardly last longer than a couple of years at the elite level. Thanks for signing up! The outcome marked a shocking upset: Leading up to the Games, another young Russian skater, 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, had been hyped as the clear favorite and a "once in a lifetime" talent until a failed drug test came to . Looking at the case of Morgan Cipres, in December 2019 it was reported that the United States Center for SafeSport was investigating him for the aforementioned allegations, which later forwarded all the findings of its investigation to the French Federation of Ice Sports. The coach is obsessed with weight, and if you cant meet the target you are dropped for a younger skater. Certain countries have been called out for unjustified pressure on their figure skaters and gymnastics teams. Anthony Currie, part of a skating couple with Eleanor Hirst, estimates that he spends 90 hours a week at the rink. We looked at some root causes of bullying and sexual abuse in figure skating and where it seems to come from. Perhaps this has been the predominant fertilizer for the dark shadows growing behind the aesthetic grandeur of the sport. Well, perhaps its because I dont eat them. Why too did Bridget Namiotka, another accuser, mention him four months after? Whereas, three other women accused him of inappropriate actions and sexual abuse. There was a point in my life when the abuse made me hate the sport, she said. After many years of suffering from this abuse, Yu decided to come forward and speak out about what many young figure skaters in China have to face. The IOC stands together with all athletes, everywhere, to state that abuse of any kind is contrary to the values of Olympism, which calls for respect for everyone in sport. Born and raised in China, she describes her experience by being hit with a skate guard if mistakes were made and also being kicked with the toe pick that pierced the skin and left scarring. In 2008, the time of the assault against Wagner, the 17-year-olds reputation was more vulnerable than 22-year-old Coughlins. Skating is an alluring, attractive, and glamorous world. Even their star Alina Zagitova took a break from figure skating due to the pressure forced on her about her weight.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'skateperfect_com-leader-1','ezslot_18',112,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-skateperfect_com-leader-1-0'); When Russian Glamor Magazine interviewed Alina about any food restrictions, she omitted that they dont even drink water! Yu reflects on how sports like skating & gymnastics makes girls especially vulnerable: There is a toxicity that plagues aesthetic sports like gymnastics and figure skating, which both have environments in which adults can easily exploit young girls with big dreams.