The secretary general of the International Biathlon Union apologized to any athlete mistreated during his tenure with US Biathlon as he spoke at a 90-minute meeting on Tuesday that focused on athlete safety concerns. brought to light by several Associated Press reports.
“I appreciate everyone who raises issues, especially sexual misconduct issues, whether they are recent or old. I think this is an incredibly courageous and important thing to do,” said Max Cobb, commenting at the annual meeting of the US Biathlon Association, held via Zoom.
It was Cobb’s first public statement since then AP’s report from a week ago with details how women said officials ignored or excused sexual abuse and harassment of female biathletes by their coaches and others for decades because they were more concerned about winning medals than holding offenders accountable.
While the men involved rose to the top of the sport, the women – who described a culture of abuse dating back to the 1990s – said they forced to end their racing career prematurely. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing with shooting competitions.
“I can personally say that I am deeply sorry to any athlete who was mistreated in any way during my time with US Biathlon,” said Cobb, who rose from national team manager to association CEO and is now an official at the IBU. the global governing body of the sport.
Cobb said Tuesday he would cooperate with a U.S. Center for SafeSport investigation into a coach accused of sexually assaulting a young biathlete, causing her so much distress that she attempted suicide. He said SafeSport has exclusive jurisdiction over investigations and could not speak further.
However, that biathlete, Grace Boutot, also attended the virtual meeting and said no one is banned from speaking about her case because she has not filed a SafeSport complaint about the abuse she suffered. She said a six-month ban from SafeSport was not enough, while she has been given a life sentence.
Cobb was named in another SafeSport complaint filed by another former biathlete who said her coach tried to sexually assault her, and Cobb dismissed it when she reported it to him.
During the meeting, Boutot accused Cobb and other board members of ignoring the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of two different coaches. “Other people knew what happened, and they did not contact me to investigate after my suicide attempt,” she said.
Drew Hudon, vice president of the Colorado Biathlon Club, said that’s why the board has lost the confidence of American Biathlon members. That includes board chairman Bob Hall, who opened the meeting saying athlete safety was the priority and the agency would investigate all allegations.
“We just heard plainly and crystal clear that they knew and didn’t investigate it,” Hudson said. “That was a clear example to me of why I should not have confidence in this board at this time, in their ability to oversee this organization and promote safety.”
The US Olympic Games & Paralympic Committee placed a employee on administrative leave after the AP reported on Boutot’s case.
Boutot and two-time Olympian Joan Wilder contacted the AP with their stories after the news agency reported that two-time Olympian Joanne Reid sexually harassed and abused for years by a ski wax technician while racing on the World Cup circuit, according to SafeSport. When she complained, she said, she was told his behavior was just part of male European culture and faced retaliation.
SafeSport has launched a new investigation into American Biathlon CEO Jack Gierhart and High Performance Director Lowell Bailey regarding the retaliation claims, although it is not known when they will end their work. SafeSport spokeswoman Hilary Nemchik said she could not comment on an ongoing case.
The AP story about Reid’s SafeSport case prompted US Biathlon to order an independent investigation in team culture and safety. The assessment of auditor Vestry Laight showed that biathletes had to deal with this ‘misogynistic’ behavior during racing and feared reprisals if they came forward.
During Tuesday’s meeting, Gierhart outlined the organization’s plan to respond to auditors’ recommendations and create a supportive and accountable team culture.
“This is an ongoing process – it’s a journey,” he said. “It’s a shift for us, and we’re committed to making it happen.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE — Martha Bellisle is an amateur biathlete who has won several U.S. National and World Championship gold medals in the masters division for competitors age 60 and older. She has competed in local races across the country sanctioned by the US Biathlon Association.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story contains a discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, you can reach the US National Suicide and Crisis Hotline by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat on it 988lifeline.org