Gracie Gold's memoir published February 2024

[overedge]

had Ashley not spoken up about Coughlin, the vast majority, people would still hold the statement that his agent had to give about Bridget and her story.
The infamous Tara Modlin, former agent to Johnny Weir, but also Gracie. Her comments about Namiotkas story
https://nypost.com/2019/05/21/john-...me-before-he-killed-himself-bridget-namiotka/

As much as she'd like to think otherwise, Modlin is hardly known outside the skating world (except when the IRS went after her questionable accounting practices for the 9/11 fundraising shows). I don't think her words carry much weight within skating either.

Ashley did absolutely the right thing in speaking up after Bridget spoke up, but the sad reality is that the media and the skating establishment basically ignored Bridget's allegations until Ashley described what happened to her too.

 

[kosjenka]

I don't understand why there wouldn't have been a concern to protect not just Gracie, but other skaters, from this guy.

To answer this question precisely we would have to basically disclose out loud who this person is.

There was no crime reported to the police and safe sport has its limitations based on location. If the person is not a citizen of US and does not work/train in sports in the US, they basically cannot do anything to them.
I will stop myself now.

 

[MacMadame]

had Ashley not spoken up about Coughlin, the vast majority, people would still hold the statement that his agent had to give about Bridget and her story.

Doubtful. Most here believed her out of the gate and condemned what Modlin said.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Doubtful. Most here believed her out of the gate and condemned what Modlin said.

Totally, and modin gave off the creepy factor

 

[kosjenka]

I think what I should’ve written, is that once Ashley came out with her story and experience with John, his friends, family and coaches stopped posting on social media, harassing bad mouthing his victims, and anybody who spoke about his actions.

 

[ice crystal]

She does not name him. I don’t think she would be allowed to legally. Check your pm.

Could you please pm as well. I am still waiting for the book through our local library in Australia which has purchased it.

 

[Badams]

Please send me a pm too.

 

[Trillian]

All I know is what’s in the book, but I do want to point out that the book only says the assault took place after an “event,” and I’m not sure that event was necessarily a competition. If it’s who I think, it could have been at one of the competitions people are discussing, but that’s not the only possibility.

Either we've already had this discussion or I'm having deja vu. I'm pretty sure someone said earlier that SafeSport would have jurisdiction over any skater who trained in the U.S.

When Gracie talks about SafeSport finally reaching out to her, she says: “A figure skater who was born outside of the United States but was training in America had been implicated in a different case. It apparently brought new attention to my case.” I don’t think the skater in the other case is the same person who assaulted her, but I do think that’s an interesting reference point and confirms that SafeSport could at least theoretically be involved in investigating such cases.

...and there would have been no basis for trying to have USFS keep the "alleged perpetrator" from being assigned to the same events as Gracie going forward from her report.

They could assign her to different events than the ones he’s attending, and/or not invite him to events in the U.S. that she’s attending, and/or do other kinds of meddling. It’s messier if he’s American because he’s probably at nationals and there’s the potential for ongoing risk to other American athletes that makes SafeSport’s inaction look even more egregious. I don’t think this detail confirms anything one way or another, but I also think it was included for a reason, and I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Vagabond]

Catching up on this fast moving thread, and without having read Gracie Gold's new book, I must say that someone in this thread has not read many detective novels.

 

[tony]

I think what I should’ve written, is that once Ashley came out with her story and experience with John, his friends, family and coaches stopped posting on social media, harassing bad mouthing his victims, and anybody who spoke about his actions.

Yup, I commented about this in the past. I got put into a FB group for the memory of Coughlin and people were posting often about how he was innocent. When Ashley came out with her story, that group instantly became almost silent.

 

[sunvalleygirl]

PM please.

 

[kosjenka]

Yup, I commented about this in the past. I got put into a FB group for the memory of Coughlin and people were posting often about how he was innocent. When Ashley came out with her story, that group instantly became almost silent.

I think the chapter of Gracies book about Coughlin is a must read.
I believe that he was a good brother, a good son, a very good friend to many people. People are capable of great things and of horrible acts in the same lifetime.

 

[Maximillian]

Me too please

Can't everyone just PM the person with the info and ask instead of clogging up the thread...(DARN KIDS GIT OFF MA LAWN!!!)

 

[Cayuse]

With all the interest in the identity of Gracie's rapist, I'm surprised one of you hasn't started a poll in the Trash Can. I think her book has lit a fire under some of the people in power and they'll be checking into why this investigation stalled. Gracie herself never found the courage to report it directly. Justice moves so slow at times, but it does move.

 

[BittyBug]

With all the interest in the identity of Gracie's rapist, I'm surprised one of you hasn't started a poll in the Trash Can.

I don't think the mods and board owner would like that as they have expressly ask us not to speculate publicly about the person's identity.

 

[jackson]

Doubtful. Most here believed her out of the gate and condemned what Modlin said.

There were many other alleged incidents with John including when he first moved to the rink in De, that he felt so guilty about kissing someone much younger than Bridget think tween (while he was 19 turning 20 with a girlfriend), he told the mother of the girl who forgave him which is possibly what enabled the behavior to continue? His behavior between the people who he was inappropriately involved with and his alcohol consumption were extreme.

 

[nylynnr]

All these folks who are sharing PMs, hopefully the guesses are correct and not slandering an innocent party.

 

[Debbie S]

SafeSport doesn't have jurisdiction over non-American skaters.

And USFS doesn't either.

Either we've already had this discussion or I'm having deja vu. I'm pretty sure someone said earlier that SafeSport would have jurisdiction over any skater who trained in the U.S.

These are both true. If a skater is training in the U.S., SafeSport can take action. If the skater does not compete for the U.S. AND does not live/train in the U.S., then yes, there is not much they can do in the present. However, they can flag the individual (as they did with Sorenson) so if they do ever coach or train in the U.S., SafeSport can start an investigation.

With Cipres, SafeSport had no jurisdiction b/c he left the country so they focused on the coaches' actions, as they should have. But I am sure he is flagged, if he comes back to the U.S. and tries to coach. Of course, he wouldn't do that since there is a criminal complaint and he would presumably be arrested and formally charged.

 

[moonvine]

With all the interest in the identity of Gracie's rapist, I'm surprised one of you hasn't started a poll in the Trash Can. I think her book has lit a fire under some of the people in power and they'll be checking into why this investigation stalled. Gracie herself never found the courage to report it directly. Justice moves so slow at times, but it does move.

Gracie did report it directly (to SafeSport). She hasn't heard anything regarding her case in several years.

 

[MacMadame]

There were many other alleged incidents with John including when he first moved to the rink in De, that he felt so guilty about kissing someone much younger than Bridget think tween (while he was 19 turning 20 with a girlfriend), he told the mother of the girl who forgave him which is possibly what enabled the behavior to continue? His behavior between the people who he was inappropriately involved with and his alcohol consumption were extreme.

What does this have to do with my post saying that people at FSU believed Bridget for the most part before Ashley spoke out? I mean you did quote my post, so...

 

[Willin]

They could assign her to different events than the ones he’s attending, and/or not invite him to events in the U.S. that she’s attending, and/or do other kinds of meddling. It’s messier if he’s American because he’s probably at nationals and there’s the potential for ongoing risk to other American athletes that makes SafeSport’s inaction look even more egregious. I don’t think this detail confirms anything one way or another, but I also think it was included for a reason, and I’ll leave it at that.

The hardest part of this would be getting other countries on board - for GPs you don't get to choose where you go most of the time - the GP/ISU picks you from a list to make sure events are somewhat balanced. I recall skaters like Ashley and Meagan saying you got some say if you were your country's top skater or two in your discipline, but nothing was guaranteed.

And even then you have to consider that this skater - if it is indeed one of the guesses people are talking about - would likely be at Worlds/4CC/Olympics. While she didn't do many international shows or things like the Japan Open, she may also have been at risk there as well. So Gracie couldn't avoid them if she wanted to compete at the highest level unless the person in question had action taken against them. Which didn't happen - but given SafeSport can only act in the US, it likely wouldn't have mattered even if they did take action.

 

[overedge]

With all the interest in the identity of Gracie's rapist, I'm surprised one of you hasn't started a poll in the Trash Can. I think her book has lit a fire under some of the people in power and they'll be checking into why this investigation stalled.

Sorry to be cynical, but they might also continue to ignore it. They'll be afraid of making the sport look worse by admitting that they didn't give the appropriate attention to a very serious issue.

Most of the people in power have been involved with the sport for a long time (which is true of most skating federations) and they don't get into positions of power by bringing negative attention to themselves or to the organization.

 

[rfisher]

I got a copy from the library and it confirms what I'd already gathered from reading this thread. Gracie would have had the same issues regardless of the path she chose.

 

[jackson]

What does this have to do with my post saying that people at FSU believed Bridget for the most part before Ashley spoke out? I mean you did quote my post, so...

Nothing at all, please don't take personally. It was a response to share the things he allegedly did and agreeing with what you wrote. I'm not sure why you would be upset, but promise it literally has nothing to do with you.

 

[bladesofgorey]

I got a copy from the library and it confirms what I'd already gathered from reading this thread. Gracie would have had the same issues regardless of the path she chose.

^ In case anyone wonders how things in the skating world could get that toxic.

 

[Alilou]

All the curiosity re her rapist reminded me of a recent disclosure (which did not name either the survivor or perpetrator) that seemed to point to a skater as the perpetrator that led most of us to be completely gobsmacked that it could be him. I keep thinking it's the same person - different event, same person.

 

[tony]

All the curiosity re her rapist reminded me of a recent disclosure (which did not name either the survivor or perpetrator) that seemed to point to a skater as the perpetrator that led most of us to be completely gobsmacked that it could be him. I keep thinking it's the same person - different event, same person.

It’s not.

 

[IHH0628]

^ In case anyone wonders how things in the skating world could get that toxic.

My thoughts and experience EXACTLY.

 

[IHH0628]

Nevermind.

 

[Moto Guzzi]

She does not name him. I don’t think she would be allowed to legally. Check your pm.

Could you pm me, too? Thanks.