Content warning: The following post discusses sexual assault.
On the podcast, we recently spoke with Olympic bronze medalist Gracie Gold about her career in figure skating, which was not always easy. She details her struggles in her raw and candid memoir Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out. Gracie was just as honest when she sat down with us.
Gracie gave us plenty of time, but it still was not enough to get to everything. We did not get into the details of her SafeSport case, and we want to share the background of the case and what it says about how well we are protecting young athletes from abuse now.
What is SafeSport?
The U.S. Center for SafeSport was created by the U.S. Congress in the wake of the horrific Larry Nassar sexual abuse case. SafeSport became the arbiter for misconduct cases in sport involving minors in the United States. All adults involved in sports are mandated reporters to SafeSport.
What happened to Gracie Gold?
In her memoir, Gracie writes that she was sexually assaulted by a fellow figure skater in 2016, and that he subsequently forcible kissed her on additional occasions in 2017. Gracie does not name the skater in her book but he has since been publicly identified as Australian champion Brendan Kerry.
In October 2017, Gracie told an U.S. Figure Skating official about the assault. Gracie feared for the safety of young skaters because Kerry had begun training and coaching in the United States. The official assured Gracie that he would initiate an investigation with SafeSport.
Gracie heard nothing for more than two years, until 2020, just as things were shutting down because of the pandemic. A SafeSport investigator contacted Gracie because a second skater alleged that Kerry had raped her repeatedly, beginning when she was 16 years old. The investigator had come across Gracie’s complaint as part of that investigation. Nothing had ever been pursued on Gracie’s behalf.
Gracie had been struggling with a number of issues – depression, an eating disorder, suicidal ideation – during the intervening years. She did not have the bandwidth or mental energy to pursue and follow up, nor did she have the expertise to understand and navigate the SafeSport system. She expected that those in charge of protecting athletes would do their jobs. She thought that with two victims, SafeSport surely would pursue the case with more immediacy.
Unfortunately, no.
How long did it take SafeSport to rule in Gracie Gold’s case?
It took nearly eight years from the time Gracie first made a report to a figure skating official until SafeSport made its ruling. While the report issued in May 2024 did determine that Kerry was guilty of “sexual misconduct involving a minor,” (meaning Victim #2), it found “insufficient evidence is available to determine if, on or about December 2016, in California, [Kerry] engaged in nonconsensual sexual intercourse with [Gold]” citing “inconsistencies and contradictory information” from Gold and witnesses. After waiting all those years, Gracie did not receive vindication for her allegations.
Kerry appealed the decision and temporary suspension, claiming his relationship with Gracie had been consensual and that he did not know the second skater was underage at the time of their relationship. His appeal was denied. Brendan Kerry was declared permanently ineligible, the strongest punishment that SafeSport can issue. There is some justice there.
Where SafeSport decisions have jurisdiction
But that ban only holds in the United States. By 2024, Kerry had retired from competitive skating and returned to his native Australia to coach. Ice Skating Australia, the country’s governing body, and the Australian Olympic Committee claimed they had no knowledge of the allegations or the investigation until SafeSport issued its public ruling. Both said they would initiate their own review of the case. No formal statements have been made since June of last year.
According to the SafeSport public database, only 32 people from U.S. Figure Skating have been banned or suspended since the implementation of mandated public reporting in 2017. All but four of these cases involve sexual misconduct. By comparison, 302 people from USA Gymnastics have been banned or suspended. Over 24,000 SafeSport complaints have been filed since 2017. Despite legislative changes made last year, the organization struggles with lack of funding and manpower to investigate.
Investigators and advocates also struggle with culture, especially in judged sports like figure skating. No athlete wants to be seen as a troublemaker. No parent wants to complain about a coach who is getting results. No one wants to make the sport look bad. And young skaters continue to pay the price.
What can we do? Anyone can file a complaint to SafeSport. If you have a “reasonable suspicion” that an athlete is being abused by a coach or a fellow athlete in any way, report it. For more information or support, check out the resources available at The Army of Survivors website.
– Alison Brown
Photo courtesy of Gracie Gold/Fireworks Sports Marketing
Note: Where possible, we use affiliate links. If you purchase something through one of these links, we may earn a commission.