USA Today reported that Canadian ice dancing champion Nikolaj Sorensen was under investigation by the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner of Canada for an alleged sexual assault in 2012.
Sorensen, who competed for his home country of Denmark until arriving in Canada in 2018, is scheduled to compete in the Canadian championship Jan. 8-14 in Calgary.
Montreal-based Sorensen and Laurence Fournier Beaudry are the reigning national ice dancing champions and placed ninth at the 2022 Olympics.
Citing a report obtained from OSIC and the US Center for SafeSport, USA Today said an American figure skating coach and former skater filed a complaint regarding the alleged assault that occurred in Hartford, Connecticut.
This claim has not been tested in court.
“We are aware of the USA Today article that was just published, but as this is an active matter within the OSIC, we cannot comment and nor will our athletes comment,” said Skate Canada communications director Karine Bédard on Thursday.
Skate Canada later said in a statement that all misconduct complaints go through OSIC “to ensure an independent review, investigation and adjudication.”
“As a signatory to the program, Skate Canada complies with all directives of Abus-Free Sport and its agents, including the Director of Sanctions and Results.”
The Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner of Canada was established in June 2022 as an independent body responsible for handling complaints and reports of abuse and mistreatment in sport.
All nationally funded sports bodies were to become signatories.
“To protect the integrity of the investigative process and its results, the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner operates within confidentiality parameters and does not comment on ongoing matters,” a spokesperson said. from the Sport Dispute Resolution Center of Canada in a press release.
“While those involved in these matters are also required to adhere to the Abuse-Free Sport Privacy Policy, its application is limited to information received, collected or generated in the context of the Abuse complaints management process -Free Sports.”