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Olympic Figure Skater Ashley Wagner Says She Was Assaulted by Now-Deceased Skater John Coughlin

John Coughlin, former pairs national champion, died by suicide in January, amid misconduct accusations from several skaters.

Retired U.S. Olympic figure skater Ashley Wagner came forward Thursday with allegations of sexual assault against the late John Coughlin, who died by suicide in January. Wagner, who is now 28, says she was assaulted by Coughlin at a party at a national team figure-skating camp in Colorado Springs in June 2008, when she was just 17 and he was 22. Wagner said Coughlin got into her bed while she slept and began kissing and groping her—and that she was “paralyzed in fear.” Elite figure skater Bridget Namiotka, Coughlin’s pairs teammate from 2004 to 2007, has said she was also abused by Couglin for two years, beginning when she was as young as 14. Coughlin killed himself after becoming aware of an interim suspension from the U.S. Center for SafeSport when the organization began investigating three reports of sexual assault against him. Wagner won a bronze medal in the team event at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.