John Coughlin was a celebrated figure skater who was quickly rising the ranks to be one of the most memorable competitors in the sport. He was also a respected figure skating coach and TV commentator who added color to competitions. That changed, though, in January 2019, when multiple women accused him of sexual assault — two as minors. The SportsSafe organization, which adjudicates sexual misconduct investigations in Olympic sports, opened an investigation into him and suspended him from figure skating. Just one day later, on January 18, Coughlin committed suicide by hanging himself at his father’s house in Kansas City, Missouri. One of the alleged victims, Bridget Namiotka, came forward on Facebook in May 2019 after seeing a post that praised him. She sad that he allegedly abused her when they were pairs partners; she was between 14 and 17 years old then.
