Former U.S. Olympics swimmer Ariana Kukors: Coach abused me 'like a hostage'
The ex-World Aquatics Championship star says former coach Sean Hutchinson 'groomed' her for years
Larry Nassar's infamous and rampant run as a sexual abuser may not be the last black mark to fall upon the U.S. Olympic Team.
In the wake of Nassar receiving a third prison sentence for his serial assault of USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University athletes, former Olympic swimmer Ariana Kukors has detailed her own allegations against Sean Hutchinson, a USA Swimming assistant coach for the 2008 Beijing Games.
Describing "an extensive, abusive and incredibly manipulative relationship" that occurred with Hutchinson from the time she was 13, Kukors said in an open letter this week, reported by the Associated Press, that Hutchinson "began having her sit on his lap, kissing her and touching her over her clothes and watching her shower" when he became her instructor at his KING Aquatic club near Seattle.
Kukors said a USA Swimming inquiry from 2011 investigated a potential "inappropriate relationship" between her and Hutchinson, but that did not result in anything outside of a resignation by Hutchinson from his post as Olympic assistant.
USA Swimming closed the investigation several weeks later, per the AP, saying "they had found no wrongdoing and calling rumors against Hutchinson 'malicious lies,'" despite Kukors later alleging she "felt like a hostage in my own home."
Since then, Hutchinson has said "there is no truth" to Kukors' claims of abuse, including suggestions that the ex-coach "groomed" her for years of assault. And while the 46-year-old Hutchinson has not been charged with any crimes, he's already stepped down from his title of CEO at KING Aquatic and had his Seattle-area home investigated for nude photos that he allegedly took of Kukors when she was 17.
