U.S. Ski & Snowboard is investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by longtime coach Peter Foley and the use of racist language by Olympian Hagan Kearney, both of whom are in China this week.
Former snowboardcross rider Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, a member of the 2010 Olympic team, wrote in an Instagram post that Foley had taken naked photos of female athletes and made inappropriate comments, and that Kearney repeatedly used the N-word to “intentionally get under my skin.”
Chythlook-Sifsof is from Alaska and describes herself as Yupik and Inupiaq.
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U.S. Ski & Snowboard released a statement that said it “takes all allegations seriously. Peter Foley remains as U.S. Snowboardcross team head coach while all recent allegations are being investigated.”
Foley did not immediately return texts left by The Associated Press. A message sent to the company representing Kearney, who finished 17th in men’s snowboardcross, was not immediately returned.
Lindsey Jacobellis, who won her second gold medal of the Beijing Games by teaming with Nick Baumgartner in Saturday’s mixed snowboardcross event, said “I can speak very highly of his character and he’s always been supporting me through everything that I’ve gone through.”
In her Instagram post, Chythlook-Sifsof described events that happened in 2014. In bringing them up, she said “I cannot watch another Olympic Games without saying this publicly.”
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said in a statement: “We take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and follow protocols to ensure it is reported and managed properly.”
Cases are investigated by the U.S. Center for SafeSport, which opened in 2017 to handle harassment and other abuse allegations inside U.S. sports.
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