I have more understanding now why Naomi Osaka doesn't want to talk to reporters. Even if you say, "I don't wish to comment on that", it can still be interpreted as something bad. I'm guessing this is why Alexa's responses were a bit more wordy and not just an abrupt "no comment".
Interviews are hard enough--- now add the peanut gallery who will dissect your every word and say you didn't answer the questions perfectly enough. Then add difficult and sensitive questions about abuse where there is no one answer that will satisfy everyone. Then add Christine Brennan who is definitely not on your side and insinuates that you were a mandatory reporter at a rink you never coached at and won't even take your "um's" out of the interview transcript.
It's completely unrealistic to expect current skaters to take some bold stance on abuse and to speak freely about it. Simone Biles did it because she practically runs USAG herself and has zero fear of repercussion. But no other athletes have that luxury. And it isn't Alexa's responsibility to say any more than she did. She supports and feels for Tarah. Her experience wasn't the same as Tarah's, so there's nothing she could add to that story. And any possible convos with SafeSport are a private matter. What else did she need to say? She did just about as well as she could answering stressful questions.
Some of the cold and callous remarks about how we're treating skaters like infants- no, we're treating skaters like human beings. Not everyone realizes how painful and difficult it can be to discuss abuse in a private setting, never mind in front of the world. If a skater never wants to speak publicly about abuse, that's totally fine. There are good reasons why SafeSport keeps things private. Also, skaters aren't professional ballplayers, they speak to the media a few times per year (and most of it is low-key). Skaters are having to answer questions that should be posed towards coaches/the organization. Alexa is usually very well-spoken and sure of herself in interviews, but these were not easy questions and she was understandably uncomfortable having to answer them.
I just want to point out that Alexa being a coach is not something you have to look very far to discover/learn on the internet. I follow her on IG and can see that she also coaches just from her own posts and stories. It isn't as though Brennan would have needed to do much to 1) know that she is coaching, and 2) verify what her current title is at GPI. Stop acting like Brennan has committed some unpardonable sin in her questioning of Alexa with regard to Sappenfield or any additional allegations.
What does Alexa's coaching at GPI in California have to do with Tarah getting abused by Sappenfield in Colorado. It's irrelevant to the story, unless you're trying to get readers to believe that Alexa also coached in CO and was in a position of power AKA a mandatory reporter of abuse. That's what if felt like Brennan was trying to do- tie Alexa into Tarah's story somehow when Alexa gave her no info.
Nearly every coach on the GPI website is listed as a "Senior Instructor", and by using those words in her tweet, Brennan made it sound more likely that Alexa was in a position of power as a coach alongside Dalilah (which she obviously wasn't). She didn't even mention Alexa is a current skater. Any non-skating fans probably thought Brennan was talking about a coach.
I think Brennan's reference to Alexa being a GPI coach in her tweet also led to some of the confusion as to why Alexa didn't answer whether she is currently a mandatory reporter. It's because Alexa was never asked about her current situation (why would she be, it has no relevance to the story). She was being asked about the situation with Dalilah, and so that's what she answered, by basically saying she wished to keep the private matter private.
I would suggest another reason Brennan asked Knierim about this was because let's face it: Alexa has stuck her foot in her mouth about this sort of thing before. IIRC she was pretty strident defending Coughlin and made some, at best, poorly-worded remarks about that situation and she certainly wasn't uncomfortable with those hats.
Alexa didn't wear a red hat. On Jan 18, 2019, Alexa, like the majority of the skating community, expressed distress and devastation over John Coughlin's sudden suicide. There were loving posts from many skaters on Jan 19 who were convinced he was a really great guy (abusers are experts at doing this). Sappenfield had been talking to John on the phone every day and was telling everyone that John had been falsely accused by someone who wanted his TV commentary job, and she was extremely convinced his name would be cleared. She also claimed his suicide was the result of people spreading vicious rumors about him on social media. SafeSport didn't help matters by vaguely listing the reason for John's suspension as general "misconduct", which led some people to wonder if maybe this was some minor incident that didn't necessary mean John was a terrible person. Hence, many supportive posts from skaters upset about his suicide.
On Jan 20 at 3PM, the story broke about Coughlin having 3 sexual abuse victims. Alexa hasn't made a single comment about John ever since, never mind support his abuse. The red hats were worn on Jan 24- only Sappenfield's current teams and 1 other female skater wore them, it wasn't Alexa. Alexa's only notable reaction afterward was the heart she posted on the Instagram of Ashley Wagner who eventually came forward with her own story of abuse. These are the facts.
Is Alexa is entitled to her PC, make no waves answer? Sure. Personally though, I'm glad that Christine is going out and doing actual reporting on this issue and questioning those who may have observed or witnessed that abuse, and those who may be the perpetrators.
Is she though? There are dozens & dozens of people who are more pertinent to Tarah's story than Alexa, who again, never trained with Tarah. Insinuating that Alexa was a mandatory reporter in that situation instead of interviewing the actual mandatory reporters who worked at that rink is an odd approach to "reporting on this issue". I'm not saying don't ask Alexa questions at all, but it felt like an attempt to drag someone who wasn't involved in Tarah's story into the story.
Brennan should have known better than to squeeze two questions into one sound bite, especially since the second was not something to which she should have expected an answer. Knierim, for her part should have answered the first question directly and left it at that.
Neither one comes across very well.
There's absolutely nothing wrong or odd about only answering the most recent question you're asked. This happens very often at press conferences. Sometimes the athlete will ask the reporter to repeat the first question because they can't even remember what was asked. And sometimes the reporter will repeat the first question once they realize the athlete only answered the second part. Brennan could have asked the first part again if she really wanted an answer. As soon as Brennan mentioned Sappenfield in the sentence, it was likely Alexa's response was going to be something like "no comment".
