After the Associated Press revealed that one of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee’s coaches was charged with sexually abusing a teenage biathlete, causing her such misery that she attempted suicide, the committee placed one employee on administrative leave on Thursday.
To address the alarming claims of abuse made by a number of biathletes in the AP investigation, Rocky Harris, USOPC chief of sport and athlete services, emailed the members of the U.S. Biathlon national team.
The email stated, “We want to commend these athletes for their tremendous courage and strength in coming forward.” A USOPC employee has been placed on administrative leave with immediate effect while an internal inquiry is conducted.
Gary Colliander was the sole USOPC coach mentioned in the AP report, although Harris did not identify the worker. As long as the investigation is ongoing, no more information will be made public, USOPC spokesperson Jon Mason told the AP.
The email, which was also forwarded to the AP, stated, “We want to emphasize that abuse and misconduct have no place in our community, even though we are currently gathering all the necessary information surrounding these complaints.”
After Colliander started teaching her when she was 15, Grace Boutot told the AP that he showered her with attention, including unwanted touching and lengthy hugs. According to a treatment description provided to the AP by therapist Jacqueline Pauli-Ritz, the behavior worsened after she reached 18 and included kissing, sexual fondling, and oral sex.
Except in situations where victims openly disclose their stories or publicly identify themselves, the AP typically does not identify victims of sexual abuse.
According to Boutot, she pleaded with Colliander to stop, but he disregarded her. According to her, he told her not to inform anyone because doing so would ruin his life and put an end to her biathlon career.
According to the therapy summary, Pauli-Ritz called Colliander in September 2010 and informed him that Boutot was experiencing severe depression and PTSD, and that he should cease coaching her.
Referring to Boutot’s overdose on antidepressants at a training camp in Soldier Hollow, Utah, on October 7, 2010, Pauli-Ritz writes, “He did not do this until after the suicide attempt.” A teammate discovered her and took her to the hospital.
Colliander quit his job with the Maine Winter Sports Center the next day. He became associate director of high performance for U.S. Paralympics Nordic Skiing after joining the U.S. Paralympic team in December 2016.
Emails and phone calls for comment were not immediately answered by Colliander.
Boutot, 33, said she s glad the U.S. Olympic committee is taking action, but is incredibility disappointed that U.S. Biathlon has failed to do the same.
The true origin of the misogynistic culture lies with U.S. Biathlon, she said. To be honest, the silence is breathtaking.
U.S. Biathlon CEO Jack Gierhart sent an email to the AP and U.S. Biathlon members late Thursday saying the allegations in the AP report were troubling. We are deeply concerned about the experiences of the athletes mentioned. To all of you, I want to reaffirm our commitment to athlete safety, it said.
Boutot was one of six Olympians and other biathletes who came forward after the AP revealed earlier this year that the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which was established to look into sex-abuse claims in Olympic sports following the Larry Nassar U.S. Gymnastics scandal, found that Olympic athlete Joanne Reid had been sexually abused and harassed for years.
Theydescribed a culture of abuse dating back to the 1990s, and said that while the men involved climbed the ranks of the sport, they faced retaliation that forced them to end their racing careers early.
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EDITOR S NOTE This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at988lifeline.org
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