Canadian figure skating champion Nikolaj Sorensen, who is under investigation for alleged sexual assault, and his skating partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry have withdrawn from this week’s Canadian Figure Skating Championships in Calgary, Alberta.
USA Today reported last week that Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner is investigating Sorensen for an alleged sexual assault on an American figure skating coach and former figure skater in Hartford, Connecticut, in 2012.
Sorensen denied the claim in an Instagram post on Tuesday, but said he and Fournier Beaudry were withdrawing from the championship because they believed their participation was a distraction.
“These allegations are false and I intend to vigorously defend myself and my reputation,” he wrote.
Sorensen said he is cooperating fully with the investigation by the office, which was established in June 2022 as an independent body to handle complaints and reports of abuse and mistreatment in sports.
In a separate Instagram post, Fournier Beaudry said it was a challenging situation.
“While I strongly believe that everyone needs to be protected and safe in sports, I know that my partner is a man of integrity, respect and kindness,” she wrote.
Both skaters said they would not comment further.
“Skate Canada is complying with all interim measures imposed by Abuse-Free Sport’s Director of Sanctions and Outcomes (DSO) in this case,” Skate Canada said in a statement on Wednesday.
“It is also important to note that this is an ongoing investigation and is subject to confidentiality.”
Sorensen and Fournier Beaudry of Montreal are the reigning national ice dance champions and placed ninth at the 2022 Olympics.
They were silver medalists at Grand Prix competitions in France and Finland in November and placed fifth at the Grand Prix Final in Beijing in December.
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