- Brendan Kerry accused of sexual misconduct with a minor
- Received a lifetime ban from the US Center for SafeSport
- Three-time Olympian has declared his innocence
An Australian Winter Olympics flag bearer will appeal a lifetime ban in the United States for alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor.
Brendan Kerry, a three-time Olympic figure skater who was Australia’s joint flag-bearer at the 2022 Beijing Winter Games, has been permanently banned by the US Center for SafeSport.
Kerry, 29, says he is innocent.
“After almost three years of not hearing from the US Center for SafeSport… I received their decision without any prior notice, imposing sanctions on me for alleged violations I did not commit,” Kerry said in a statement.
“That decision is not final and I intend to contest this suspension and seek arbitration before a neutral arbitrator, as is my right.”
Three-time Winter Olympian Brendan Kerry (pictured) is appealing a lifetime ban in the United States for alleged sexual misconduct involving a minor
The Sydney-born athlete has been permanently banned by the US Center for SafeSport
American figure skater Gracie Gold has also made an accusation against Kerry, but she was not a minor at the time of the alleged crime
Kerry, who won seven consecutive Australian figure skating titles from 2013, was a registered coach with US Figure Skating during the 2016-2017 season when the misconduct allegedly occurred.
ESPN cited a confidential summary of an investigation into Kerry by SafeSport, the U.S. Olympic movement’s sexual misconduct watchdog.
SafeSport also investigated an allegation that Kerry forced a second skater into non-consensual sex at a party in 2016, but found insufficient evidence to prove that claim.
American figure skater Gracie Gold has since told ESPN that she is the second skater.
Kerry’s ban only applies in the US, where SafeSport has jurisdiction, but he has stepped away from coaching at Sydney’s Macquarie Ice Rink by mutual agreement with Australian figure skating authorities.
The Australian Professional Skaters’ Association said it would conduct its own investigation.
Brendan Kerry (pictured, representing Australia at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing) has been accused of having sex with a skater aged 16 or 17
The 29-year-old (pictured at the 2018 Winter Games) denies all allegations and will not face criminal charges
Figure skater Gracie Gold has told ESPN that she had non-consensual sex with Kerry. However, there was not enough evidence to prove the claim that the Australian did not face criminal charges
The Australian Olympic Committee and Ice Skating Australia (ISA) were both unaware of the SafeSport investigation until the sanction was lifted on Wednesday, AEDT time.
Kerry won eight Australian figure skating titles – including seven in a row – and competed in the 2014, 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
He retired after the Beijing Games two years ago, when he recorded his best Olympic finish: 17th. Kerry came 29th in 2014 and 20th in 2018.