Who Did Richard Gauthier Coach? People are curious to know more about him as he was found guilty of sexual assault and gross obscenity on Wednesday.
Richard Gauthier was a well-known personality in the Canadian pairs skating community. As a coach, he helped many outstanding skaters achieve national and international success.
He began teaching in the 1970s and immediately became a significant sports authority. Throughout his career, he worked with several great skaters, including Olympic medalists and world champions.
Who Did Richard Gauthier Coach? Career Explored
Gauthier has spent almost three decades coaching world-class couples skaters. In 2015, he was inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame as a coach.
Gauthier teamed together Edmonton skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, who went on to win gold at the 2001 ISU World Championships and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Gauthier, from Saint Etienne-de-Bolton, Que., joins the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in the Coach category after serving as one of the world’s most regarded pair coaches for over three decades.
Gauthier assembled the duo of Jamie Salé and David Pelletier in 1998, and they went on to win gold at the 2001 ISU World Championships and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, the two-time defending world pair champions, were guided by Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte. Gauthier also instructs numerous world-ranked pair couples at his world-renowned pair skating school in Saint-Leonard, Que., including the 2016 U.S.
Bronze medalists Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran, as well as bronze medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro at the 2015 Skate Canada International.
According to Skate Canada, Gauthier coached two-time defending world pair champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford.
“At his world-renowned pair skating school in Saint-Leonard, Que., Gauthier also trains several world-ranked pair teams, including 2016 U.S. bronze medalists Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran and 2015 Skate Canada International bronze medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro,” according to the press release.
Was Canadian Pairs Skating Coach Arrested- Guilty Of Sex Assault?
A well-known ex-coach in Canadian pairs skating was found guilty of sexual assault and gross obscenity on Wednesday.
Richard Gauthier went on trial on three counts stemming from crimes he committed in the 1980s involving a teenage male skater he taught.
In Montreal, Quebec court Judge Josee Belanger found Gauthier, 61, guilty of two charges. He was found not guilty on a third count of indecent assault on the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.
“The evidence indicates beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused’s conduct caused severe injury to the plaintiff,” the court stated in a 49-page judgment.
At the time of the occurrences, the victim was 14, and Gauthier was in his twenties. Gauthier mentored him for nearly six years until the victim reached 18.
Gauthier was accused of bathing naked with the victim, showering naked with him, and spooning naked with him in a bed in the accused’s House.
“These are sexual gestures made by the accused toward the athlete he was training, whom the latter liked and admired,” Belanger determined.
“As the complainant testified, he experienced considerable psychological trauma due to the accused’s behavior. This bias is widespread.”
The judge did not trust Gauthier’s account of events, who was accused in 2020.
“Not only is the accused untrustworthy, but his testimony is likewise untrustworthy. It has some modifications, flagrant inconsistencies, and changes during the cross-examination questions,” the court ruled.
Prosecutor Amelie Rivard told reporters that she hoped the verdict would convey to survivors that illegal deeds do not go away with time.
She expressed optimism that the decision will inspire victims of sexual assault to come forward. The matter will be heard again in court next month.