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US Olympic snowboarder, coach accused of sexual misconduct, racial abuse

A former Olympian said the pair took naked pictures of female athletes, used racist slurs against teammates

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US Ski & Snowboard is investigating allegations that longtime Olympic coach Peter Foley took naked pictures of female athletes and that Olympic snowboard racer Hagan Kearney used racist language to provoke a teammate.

Former snowboardcross rider Callan Chythlook-Sifsof, a member of the 2010 Olympic team, wrote in an Instagram post that in addition to taking the photos, Foley had made inappropriate comments, and that Kearney repeatedly used the N-word to “intentionally get under my skin.”

Chythlook-Sifsof is from Alaska and describes herself as Yupik and Inupiaq.

Both Foley and Kearney were in China this week for the Beijing Games.

US Ski & Snowboard released a statement that said it “takes all allegations seriously. Peter Foley remains as US Snowboardcross team head coach while all recent allegations are being investigated.”

Foley said he was surprised by the allegations in a text to The Associated Press.

“I vehemently deny the allegations,” he continued. “I’m doing my best to concentrate on supporting the athletes at the Olympics.”

A message sent to the company representing Kearney, who finished 17th in men’s snowboardcross Thursday, was not immediately returned.

Lindsey Jacobellis, who won her second gold medal of the Beijing Games by teaming with Nick Baumgartner in Saturday’s mixed snowboardcross event, said she never had an issue with Foley.

“I can speak very highly of his character and he’s always been supporting me through everything that I’ve gone through,” Jacobellis said.

In her Instagram post, Chythlook-Sifsof described events that happened in 2014.

“I cannot watch another Olympic Games without saying this publicly,” she wrote.

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The US Olympic & Paralympic Committee said in a statement: “We take all allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and follow protocols to ensure it is reported and managed properly.”

Cases are investigated by the US Center for SafeSport, which opened in 2017 to handle harassment and other abuse allegations inside US sports.

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