Winter Sports

Kaori Sakamoto took a commanding lead on the field at the World Figure Skating Championships following Wednesday's short program.

The Japanese skater and defending champion put together a routine that included a double axel, triple lutz and a triple flip, triple toeloop combination, earning her a score of 79.24 in front of a home crowd at Japan's Saitama Super Arena.

"Hearing the crowd cheering reminded me of the last time the worlds were held here four years ago," Sakamoto told reporters. "I was pleased with today's short program and will just try to stay focused for the rest of the competition."

She holds a solid lead over South Korea's Lee Hae-in (73.62) and Japan's Mai Mihara (73.46) heading into Friday's free skate.

The rest of the field finished as follows:

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4. Isabeau Levito (USA) — 73.03

5. Loena Hendrickx (BEL) — 71.94

6. Niina Petrokina (EST) — 68.00

7. Nicole Schott (GER) — 67.29

8. Bradie Tennell (USA) — 66.45

9. Ekaterina Kurakova (POL) — 65.69

10. Amber Glenn (USA) — 65.52

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That group has its work cut out for it if it's going to catch up to Sakamoto.

"Usually, when I go into my short program, there's some uncertainties and anxiety," she told reporters. "But today I was doing very well in practice, and I wasn't making any mistakes. So I knew that I could just put everything out there, and that's exactly what I was able to do."

And now she's the clear front-runner to defend her title.

In the pairs short program, the Japanese duo of Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara skated out to an equally impressive lead over the field, posting a score of 80.72.

The rest of the finishers scored as follows:

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2. Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier (USA) — 74.64

3. Sara Conti/Niccolo Macii (ITA) — 73.24

4. Deanna Stellato-Dudek/Maxime Deschamps (CAN) — 72.81

5. Emily Chan/Spencer Howe (USA) — 70.23

6. Lia Pereira/Trennt Michaud (CAN) — 65.31

7. Alisa Efimova/Ruben Blommaert (GER) — 65.23

8. Maria Pavlova/Alexei Sviatchenko (HUN) — 64.43

9. Ellie Kam/Danny O'Shea (USA) — 63.40

10. Brooke McIntosh/Benjamin Mimar (CAN) — 63.33

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Defending world champions Knierim and Frazier face a tough task trying to catch up to their Japanese counterparts but were pleased with their efforts Wednesday.

"Today I thought we did a really great job of performing the program from beginning to end, skating strong and bringing the characters to life," Knierim said. "I'm really proud of us. I think we've endured a lot recently and we put out the best today."

The pair's main coaches, Jenni Meno and Todd Sand, didn't travel with them to Japan after Sand suffered a heart attack three weeks ago.

"Todd's condition is very serious, so it's difficult to train when you feel broken inside, when your person is not there," Knierim noted. "However, that person is the one that instilled fight in us, so we're able to work hard every day to make him proud, and I think we did a good job of that today."

The pairs' free skate will take place Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, followed by the men's short program.

Freestyle skier Kyle Smaine died Sunday after getting caught in an avalanche in Japan, his family told NBC News' Chantal Da Silva.

Smaine's father, William, told Da Silva the 31-year-old was skiing in Nagano Prefecture. Kyle Smaine said Sunday on Instagram he traveled to Japan annually because of the "unbelievable snow quality, non-stop storms, and really fun terrain that seems to get better" the more he was there.

Da Silva noted Japanese weather authorities had issued an avalanche warning because of the snowfall the region had received.

Per Reuters, a Nagano police spokesperson said five people were skiing on the slope of Mount Hakuba Norikura. Three people from the group made it down following the avalanche.

Grant Gunderson, a photographer for Mountain Gazette, was among the party. He said on Instagram that a skier from another group "triggered an avalanche that stepped down into a massive avalanche":

"Adam, Kyle and the other skier tried to run. Adam was buried 1.5 meters deep for 25 minutes and is unscathed. That is a miracle. The skier buried next to him died from internal injuries. Kyle was thrown 50 meters by the air blast and buried and killed.

"Another group in the area consisting of two Canadian mountain guides and 4 or 5 emergency doctors / nurses etc as clients performed the rescue. The doctors did everything they could for Kyle and the other skier."

A spokesperson said the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo was "aware of the incident in Nagano Prefecture and has been in touch with the relevant authorities to provide all appropriate assistance," per Da Silva.

Smaine was an experienced professional skier and earned a gold medal in the men's ski halfpipe at the 2015 World Championships.

The 2023 United States Figure Skating Championships at SAP Center in San Jose, California, are beginning to wind down, and Saturday's competition saw the championship ice dance free dance and championship pairs free skate take center ice.

Saturday's action kicked off with the championship ice dance free dance competition, and the pair of Madison Chock and Evan Bates dazzled with a score of 137.85 to claim the top spot.

With their score in the free dance plus their score of 91.90 in the rhythm dance, Chock and Bates captured their fourth U.S. ice dance title together with a final score of 229.75.

Chock and Bates 🥇🥇🥇🥇 @chockolate02 and @Evan_Bates win their fourth U.S. ice dance title together. #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/ByMJJYp1Eh

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) January 28, 2023

The championship pairs free skate followed, and the pair of Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier squashed the competition, earning a score of 146.01 to capture their second U.S. pairs' title.

Knierim and Frazier also topped the pairs short program leaderboard with a score of 81.96 to bring their combined score to 227.97.

The Gold Standard 🥇@alexa_knierim and @Brandon_F1992 secure their second U.S. pairs' title. #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/Ffcdyln9B9

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) January 29, 2023

Here's a look at Saturday's results, the remaining schedule and some highlights of the action.

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Championship Ice Dance: Free Dance (Top 5; Overall)

1. Madison Chock, All Year FSC/Evan Bates, Ann Arbor FSC: 229.75
2. Caroline Green, Pavilion SC of Cleveland Heights/Michael Parsons, Washington FSC: 207.46
   
3. Christina Carreira, SC of New York/Anthony Ponomarenko, SC of San Francisco: 198.45
   
4. Emilea Zingas, St. Clair Shores FSC/Vadym Kolesnik, SC of New York: 198.13
5. Emily Bratti, Washington FSC/Ian Somerville, Washington FSC: 189.84
   

Full scores available at usfigureskating.org

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Championship Pairs: Free Skate (Top 5; Overall)

1. Alexa Knierim, DuPage FSC/Brandon Frazier, All Year FSC: 227.97
2. Emily Chan, SC of Boston/Spencer Howe, SC of Boston: 196.86
   
3. Ellie Kam, Thunderbirds FSC/Danny OShea, SC of New York: 184.01
   
4. Sonia Baram, Los Angeles FSC/Daniel Tioumentsev, Dallas FSC: 179.08
   
5. Valentina Plazas, Panthers FSC/Maximiliano Fernandez, Arctic FSC: 176.34
   

Full scores available at usfigureskating.org

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Remaining Schedule

Sunday, Jan. 29

Championship Men/Free Skate: 2:45 p.m. ET

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Highlights

The duo of Chock and Bates was dominant throughout the ice dance competition in San Jose. Their 229.75-point total was 22.29 points higher than the second-place duo of Caroline Green and Michael Parsons, which is the largest margin of victory in a U.S. ice dance competition since 2011, per OlympicTalk.

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1619448352369770496

https://twitter.com/NBCOlympics/status/1619453142147514368

Chock and Bates are the first couple in their 30s to win a U.S. title in the last 50 years, per OlympicTalk. Chock is 30 and Bates is 33. The duo's win also marks their 11th consecutive podium finish at nationals.

"This is probably the best we've ever skated in our careers," Bates said on NBC, per OlympicTalk. "I think that's the statement that we wanted to make."

Chock and Bates now have their sights set on winning gold at the world championships in Saitama, Japan, from March 20-26. They won bronze in the competition last year, finishing behind French duo Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron and American pair Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue.

Meanwhile, Knierim and Frazier topped their Stranger Things-themed performance in Thursday's pairs short program with a brilliant showing in Saturday's pairs free skate to secure the national title.

"The current gold standard in the U.S. and the world." -@terrygannon83

The crowd is on their feet after @alexa_knierim and @Brandon_F1992's incredible free skate. #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/3BE3Wv1n5T

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 29, 2023

Knierim, 31, and Frazier, 30, became the first U.S. pair in their 30s to win a national title in 50-plus years. The victory also marks Knierim's fifth U.S. title and second with Frazier as her partner. She won her first three titles with her husband, Chris Knierim, who retired in 2020.

Knierim and Frazier, who won the title in 2021, would have been three-time winners, but the pair was unable to defend their title in 2022 after Frazier tested positive for COVID-19.

Frazier said before nationals earlier this month that this could be the final season he and Knierim compete together, though they haven't officially made a decision.

"I don't like to just put it out there and say it is the last or not going to be the last because life just has that way of throwing curveballs, and you just never know," he said, per OlympicTalk. "But I would say that this is the first nationals where I'm going to go in really trying to soak up every second as if it is my last because you just don't know."

The final day of the 2023 United States Figure Skating Championships will take place Sunday afternoon with the championship men free skate.

The 2023 United States Figure Skating Championships continued Friday at SAP Center in San Jose, California, with the short program for championship men and the free skate for championship women.

Ilia Malinin of Washington FSC claimed the No. 1 spot in the championship men's short program with a score of 110.36. Jason Brown of Skokie Valley SC finished second with a score of 100.25, and Tomoki Hiwatashi of DuPage FSC finished third with a score of 85.43.

Isabeau Levito of SC of Southern New Jersey earned her first United States women's championship.

The 15-year-old, who took gold in the World Junior Championships last April, finished first in the short program and free skate to hold off two-time national champion Bradie Tennell of Skokie Valley SC.

Amber Glenn of Dallas FSC, who finished second in the U.S. championship in 2021, won the bronze medal.

Here's a look at Friday's results, the remaining schedule and some highlights of the action.

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Championship Men: Short Program (Top 5; Free Skate to Come)

1. Ilia Malinin, Washington FSC: 110.36
2. Jason Brown, Skokie Valley SC: 100.25
   
3. Tomoki Hiwatashi, DuPage FSC: 85.43
   
4. Liam Kapeikis, Wenatchee FSC: 82.27
   
5. Andrew Torgashev, Panthers FSC: 78.78
   

Full results available at usfigureskating.org.

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Championship Women: Final Results (Top 5)

1. Isabeau Levito, SC of Southern New Jersey: 223.33 Overall (73.78 Short and 149.55 Free Skate)
2. Bradie Tennell, Skokie Valley SC: 213.12 Overall (73.76 Short and 139.36 Free Skate)
   
3. Amber Glenn, Dallas FSC: 207.44 Overall (68.96 Short and 138.48 Free Skate)
   
4. Starr Andrews, Los Angeles FSC: 188.24 Overall (68.97 Short and 119.27 Free Skate)
   
5. Josephine Lee, All Year FSC: 187.68 Overall (55.60 Short and 132.08 Free Skate)
   

Full results available at usfigureskating.org.

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Remaining Schedule

Saturday, Jan. 28

Championship Ice Dance/Free Dance: 1:40 p.m. ET

Championship Pairs/Free Skate: 7:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 29

Championship Men/Free Skate: 2:45 p.m. ET

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Highlights

Malinin, known as the "Quad God," was dominant in the men's short program Friday, landing two quadruple jumps to help him take more than a 10-point lead into Sunday's free skate. His score of 110.36 is the sixth-highest in men's short program history at the national championship.

110.36! 😮

Ilia Malinin tallies up the sixth highest men's short program score ever at the national championships. #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/2kTqtNvIli

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2023

Malinin, the favorite to claim gold at this year's event, landed both a quad Lutz and a quad toeloop to power his way to the top of the leaderboard. The 18-year-old is the world's second-ranked skater.

ILIA MALININ‼️#ToyotaUSChamps | 📺 @USA_Network https://t.co/r3LoIlRxAD

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2023

Brown, who finished second, is competing for the first time since last February's Olympics in Beijing, where he placed sixth. The 2015 U.S. champion was excited to get back on the ice.

"Just getting back to that true love of why I love this sport and that is to perform."

It's not about the medals or titles for @jasonbskates. #ToyotaUSOpen pic.twitter.com/Zz6O9iwdQa

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2023

Welcome back, Jason Brown!

The entire arena is on their feet for @jasonbskates after his spectacular short program. 👏 #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/avJqTkjHjS

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2023

What a way to come back to competition. ⚡️ @jasonbskates #ToyotaUSChamps | 📺 @USA_Network https://t.co/rlc4D0qqxu

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 27, 2023

Both Malinin and Brown figure to be the top two competitors in Sunday's free skate.

Levito was simply sensational in the women's free skate, perhaps foreshadowing a wave of national and international success to come.

ISABEAU LEVITO = NATIONAL CHAMPION 🥇@USFigureSkating x #ToyotaUSChamps https://t.co/uL18GHcXIS

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 28, 2023

The moment New Jersey's own Isabeau Levito won her first national title at the age of 15. 🥇@USFigureSkating x #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/x2JSBtRsLZ

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 28, 2023

Levito received a well-deserved standing ovation for her efforts.

Pure relief and elation across the face of Isabeau Levito as she receives a standing ovation after that free skate.

National title incoming #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/EluCjMmbV1

— Nick McCarvel (@NickMcCarvel) January 28, 2023

Jackie Wong of Rocker Skating gave a breakdown of her performance:

Isabeau Levito
3Lz3Lo, 3T, 2A, 3F, 2A, 3Lz1Eu3S(q?), 3F2T - Isabeau Levito will be the new US champ! Her best skate of the seasonhttps://t.co/kFGWEUkSIZ #ToyotaUSChamps

— Jackie Wong (@rockerskating) January 28, 2023

Tennell's second-place finish shouldn't go unnoticed, especially given the adversity she pushed through just to make the podium. She missed went 19 month without competing because of foot and ankle injuries.

"I've definitely had my share of bumps in the road on the way here," Tennell said Thursday, per Philip Hersh of NBC Sports. "This was a very long time in the making."

Glenn rounded out the podium after a stellar free skate that scored just .88 behind Tennell. She's endured her own obstacles along the way, as noted by OlympicTalk:

"Last year, Glenn entered nationals as the fourth-ranked U.S. woman and a hopeful for the three-woman Olympic team. She placed 14th in the short program, competing unknowingly with COVID-19, and then tested positive and withdrew before the free skate. In 2021, Glenn was the U.S. silver medalist, yet passed over for a spot on the two-woman world team in favor of the more experienced Karen Chen, who finished 35 hundredths behind Glenn at those nationals."

The 23-year-old was thrilled with her free-skate score, however, and NBC captured her reaction.

.@AmberGlenn_'s reaction after receiving her score is so pure. 🥹#ToyotaUSChamps | 📺 @nbc and @peacock pic.twitter.com/hAtkN5ajeq

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 28, 2023

As OlympicTalk noted, the three podium finishers are expected to be the United States' representatives at the 2023 World Figure Skating Championships, which will be held from March 20-26 in Saitama, Japan. A U.S. Figure Skating committee will ultimately make the decision on the representatives.

The United States Figure Skating Championships continued Thursday at SAP Center in San Jose, California, with the junior women free skate, short programs for championship pairs and championship women and the rhythm dance for championship ice dance.

Soho Lee of Glacier Falls FSC captured gold in the junior women's event with a score of 114.80 in the free skate on Thursday coupled with her 66.34 score in the junior women short program on Wednesday for a final score of 181.14.

Keira Hilbelink of Portland ISC finished second with scores of 112.94 in the free skate and 55.05 in the junior women short program. Elyce Lin-Gracey of Pasadena FSC captured bronze with scores of 100.00 in the free skate and 65.57 in the junior women short program.

The short program for championship pairs followed the junior women short program, and the pair of Alexa Knierim of DuPage FSC and Brandon Frazier of All Year FSC finished first with a score of 81.96, which is the most ever in the U.S. pairs short.

The next pair of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe of SC of Boston didn't even come close to the top spot, finishing second with a score of 66.86.

The rhythm dance for the championship ice dance featured a number of impressive pairs, but Madison Chock of All Year FSC and Evan Bates of Ann Arbor FSC claimed first place with a score of 91.90.

Caroline Green of Pavilion SC of Cleveland Heights and Michael Parsons of Washington FSC finished second with a score of 81.40, while the pair of Emilea Zingas of St. Clair Shores FSC and Vadym Kolesnik of SC of New York finished third with a score of 78.18.

Here's a look at Thursday's results, the remaining schedule and some highlights from the day's action.

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Junior Women (Top 5; Overall)

1. Soho Lee, Glacier Falls FSC: 181.14
2. Keira Hilbelink, Portland ISC: 167.99
   
3. Elyce Lin-Gracey, Pasadena FSC: 165.57
   
4. Sherry Zhang, Glacier Falls FSC: 161.08
   
5. Katie Krafchik, SC of New York: 160.52
   

Full results available at usfigureskating.org

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Championship Pairs: Short Program (Top 5; Free Skate to Come)

1. Alexa Knierim, DuPage FSC/Brandon Frazier, All Year FSC: 81.96
2. Emily Chan, SC of Boston/Spencer Howe, SC of Boston: 66.86
   
3. Ellie Kam, Thunderbirds FSC/Danny OShea, SC of New York: 66.75
   
4. Valentina Plazas, Panthers FSC/Maximiliano Fernandez, Arctic FSC: 63.45
   
5. Sonia Baram, Los Angeles FSC/Daniel Tioumentsev, Dallas FSC: 63.12

Full results available at usfigureskating.org

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Championship Ice Dance: Rhythm Dance (Top 5; Free Dance to Come)

1. Madison Chock, All Year FSC/Evan Bates, Ann Arbor FSC: 91.90
2. Caroline Green, Pavilion SC of Cleveland Heights/Michael Parsons, Washington FSC: 81.40
3. Emilea Zingas, St. Clair Shores FSC/Vadym Kolesnik, SC of New York: 78.18
   
4. Christina Carreira, SC of New York/Anthony Ponomarenko, SC of San Francisco: 77.37
   
5. Lorraine McNamara, Peninsula SC/Anton Spiridonov, ION FSC: 76.23
   

Full result available at usfigureskating.org

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Championship Women: Short Program (Free Skate to Come)

1. Isabeau Levito, SC Of Southern New Jersey: 73.78 
2. Bradie Tennell, Skokie Valley SC: 73.76 
3. Starr Andrews, Los Angeles FSC: 68.97 
4. Amber Glenn, Dallas FSC: 68.96 
5. Gracie Gold, IceWorks SC: 67.44

Full result available at usfigureskating.org

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Remaining Schedule

Friday, Jan. 27

Championship Men/Short Program: 4:10 p.m. ET

Championship Women/Free Skate: 7:45 p.m. ET

Saturday, Jan. 28

Championship Ice Dance/Free Dance: 1:40 p.m. ET

Championship Pairs/Free Skate: 7:30 p.m. ET

Sunday, Jan. 29

Championship Men/Free Skate: 2:45 p.m. ET

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Highlights

The pair of Knierim and Frazier had one of the best performances of the day. It was themed to the Netflix hit series Stranger Things and highlighted by a one-handed lift that almost surely helped them capture the top spot in the short program for championship pairs.

ONE-HANDED LIFT 🤯

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier's lifts are immaculate. #ToyotaUSChamps pic.twitter.com/BhHps18IfU

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) January 26, 2023

This saved us from Vecna's curse. @alexa_knierim and @Brandon_F1992 set a U.S. national record score of 81.96 performing their Stranger Things-inspired short program.

cc: @strangerwriters pic.twitter.com/oR0KO5Ca4u

— Team USA (@TeamUSA) January 26, 2023

Knierim, 31, is aiming to win her fifth U.S. title and become the first female pairs skater in her 30s to win since 1993. She won her first three titles with her husband, Chris Knierim, who retired in 2020.

Knierim won her fourth title with Frazier in 2021. They were unable to defend their title in 2022 after Frazier contracted COVID-19. The pair could be competing together for the final time this season.

"I don't like to just put it out there and say it is the last or not going to be the last because life just has that way of throwing curveballs, and you just never know," Frazier said earlier this month, per OlympicTalk. "But I would say that this is the first nationals where I'm going to go in really trying to soak up every second as if it is my last because you just don't know."

Mikaela Shiffrin is the most decorated female alpine skier in history.

The 27-year-old American bested Switzerland's Lara Gut-Behrami by 0.45 seconds in the giant slalom Tuesday in Kronplatz, Italy, to win her 83rd World Cup race. That lifted her ahead of Lindsey Vonn for the women's all-time record.

And here is the Run that crowned @MikaelaShiffrin the most successful female skier in the history of skiing 🎩#fisalpine pic.twitter.com/ciDedGj8gv

— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) January 24, 2023

"It might take me a little bit to figure out what to say," she said of Tuesday's achievement. "I don't know what to say right now."

Shiffrin has achieved everything a skier can. In addition to her World Cup victories, she's a two-time Winter Olympics gold medalist and a six-time world champion.

Last October, though, she reflected on how her fulfillment on the slopes stemmed from more than racking up accolades:

"I don't need [records] to feel like I accomplished everything in the sport. I just want to keep improving. And hopefully, over the next few years, if I'm improving, it means I'm still able to win races. And then we'll see the record. And if it does happen, if it happens, then when it happens, I think it'll probably feel special, for sure. That'll be amazing, but it's not any guarantee, and it's definitely not something that I need."

Depending on how long she continues to compete, it may not be a matter of whether she passes Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record but how far ahead of Stenmark she finishes.

Stenmark had 86 World Cup wins before retiring at 32. If Shiffrin sticks around into her early 30s, then she could have 90 or more victories when her career concludes.

Mikaela Shiffrin is closing in on Lindsey Vonn's all-time wins record in the World Cup following her newest triumph Tuesday in Semmering, Austria.

With a final time of 2:07.18, Shiffrin edged out Slovakia's Petra Vlhová by 0.13 seconds in the women's giant slalom. This was the 27-year-old's fourth World Cup victory this season and her first giant slalom win since Dec. 21, 2021.

Shiffrin called it "very special."

"GS is one of the hardest events for me, but also, when I'm skiing well, then it's just amazing," she said.

The American now has 78 World Cup wins overall, putting her four behind Vonn.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 https://t.co/WefCkmcRbn

— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 27, 2022

Vonn retired in February 2019 following the World Championships, citing in part the physical toll she had put on her body throughout a legendary career. Along with her success on the World Cup circuit, she was an Olympic gold medalist in 2010 and the world champion in the downhill and super-G in 2009.

Given her age, it might be a matter of when rather than if Shiffrin surpasses Vonn's all-time mark, though it's not something she's prioritizing before she retires.

"Every record is special. There's nothing wrong with it," Shiffrin said in October to Alessandro Poggi of the Olympics' official site.

"It's a way to analyze who, you know, has done something great in sport. And I get that. It's just…it's not the thing that I'm shooting for in order to retire."

The parents of former American figure skater Bridget Namiotka announced Friday she died in July at the age of 32.

Steve and Maureen Namiotka spoke with Christine Brennan of USA Today about their daughter, who accused her former pairs partner, John Coughlin, of sexual abuse following his 2019 death.

"Bridget succumbed to her long struggles with addiction after several very difficult years of dealing with the trauma of sexual abuse," the Namiotkas said. "She was a beautiful child and a wonderful athlete, and we are heartbroken. It is our hope that Bridget's death will bring new attention to the terrible effects of sexual abuse and addiction in our society."

Coughlin died by suicide in January 2019 at the age of 33 just weeks after he was suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport pending an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.

"I'm sorry but John hurt at least 10 people including me. He sexually abused me for 2 years," Namiotka wrote in a May 2019 Facebook post, per Brennan.

In August 2019, Olympic bronze medalist Ashley Wagner said Coughlin sexual assaulted her in June 2008, when she was 17 and he was 22.

Prior to his death, Coughlin said the allegations being made against him were "unfounded."

"While I wish I could speak freely about the unfounded allegations levied against me, the SafeSport rules prevent me from doing so since the case remains pending," Coughlin told Brennan in January 2019. "I note only that the SafeSport notice of allegation itself stated that an allegation in no way constitutes a finding by SafeSport or that there is any merit to the allegation."

SafeSport spokesperson Dan Hill said in March 2019, "The SafeSport Code and the interim measure process that was communicated to him directly, and which is on our website, makes it clear that he could provide information."

Namiotka and Coughlin were partners from 2004 through 2007. They won the junior pairs competition at the 2005 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Croatia. They also finished second in the junior pairs event at 2005 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Pennsylvania native Namiotka, who also skated with Alex Merritt during her junior career, stopped competing after her partnership with Coughlin ended in July 2007.