A well-known figure in the Canadian pairs skating scene was Richard Gauthier. Many exceptional skaters he coached were successful on the national and international levels.
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He started out as a teacher in the 1970s and quickly rose to prominence as a sports expert. He collaborated with a number of outstanding skaters over his career, including Olympic and world winners.
Richard Gauthier Taught Whom? Careers are examined
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For nearly three decades, Gauthier has trained elite pairs skaters. He was enshrined as a coach in the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in 2015.
Jamie Salé and David Pelletier, both from Edmonton, were paired up with Gauthier, and they went on to win gold at the 2001 ISU World Championships and the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Gauthier, a native of Saint Etienne-de-Bolton, Quebec, is inducted into the Skate Canada Hall of Fame in the Coach category after spending more than three decades as one of the most well-known pair coaches in the world.
In 1998, Gauthier put together the team of David Pelletier and Jamie Salé, who went on to win gold at the 2002 Winter Olympics and the 2001 ISU World Championships.
The two-time defending world pair champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford were coached by Gauthier and Bruno Marcotte. At his renowned pair skating school in Saint-Leonard, Quebec, Gauthier also teaches a number of top-ranked pair couples, including the 2016 U.S.
bronze medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers, Michael Marinaro, Marissa Castelli, and Mervin Tran from the 2015 Skate Canada International.
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, the two-time defending world pair champions, were taught by Gauthier, according to Skate Canada.
According to a press release, “Gauthier also trains several world-ranked pair teams at his renowned pair skating school in Saint-Leonard, Que., including 2016 U.S. bronze medalists Marissa Castelli and Mervin Tran and 2015 Skate Canada International bronze medalists Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro.”
Was the Canadian pairs skating coach guilty of sex assault when he was arrested?
On Wednesday, a well-known former pairs skating coach in Canada was convicted guilty of gross obscenity and sexual abuse.
Three counts related to crimes Richard Gauthier committed in the 1980s with a young male skater he instructed were the basis for his prosecution.
Judge Josee Belanger of the Quebec court in Montreal convicted 61-year-old Gauthier guilty of two offenses. On a third count of indecently assaulting the victim, whose identity is protected by a publication restriction, he was found not guilty.
The court stated in a 49-page verdict that “the evidence indicates beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused’s conduct caused severe injury to the plaintiff.”
The victim was 14 years old at the time, while Gauthier was in his twenties. Prior to the victim turning 18 years old, Gauthier mentored him for about six years.
In the accused’s home, Gauthier was charged with bathing, showering, and spooning the victim while both were completely naked.
Belanger came to the conclusion that “these are sexual gestures made by the accused toward the athlete he was training, whom the latter liked and admired.”
“According to the complainant’s testimony, the accused’s actions caused him to suffer significant psychological anguish. This prejudice is pervasive.
The 2020 accuser Gauthier’s version of events was not accepted by the judge.
“His testimony is equally untrustworthy as the accused, in addition. The court determined that it had some alterations, glaring discrepancies, and changes made during the cross-examination questioning.
Amelie Rivard, the prosecutor, told reporters that she hoped the verdict would show survivors that wrongdoing does not vanish with time.
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