Former champion figure skater John Coughlin died by suicide on Friday, just days after being suspended from the sport over a pending grievance. He was 33.
“We are stunned at the news of the death of two-time U.S. pairs champion John Coughlin,” U.S. Figure Skating said in a statement on Saturday. “Our heartfelt and deepest sympathies are with his father Mike, sister Angela and the rest of his family. Out of respect to the family, we will have no further comment until a later time.”
Coughlin represented the United States at the world championships in 2011 and 2012.
“My wonderful strong, amazingly compassionate brother John Coughlin took his own life earlier today. I have no words. I love you John,” his sister Angela Laune said in a Facebook post on Friday.
Coughlin was suspended by the U.S. Center for SafeSport over a pending grievance last month. Details of the allegations were not disclosed, but the U.S. Olympic Committee agency holds oversight of sexual misconduct and other abuse allegations.
A number of U.S. skaters commented on the death and remembered Coughlin’s contribution to the sport, including skater-turned-NBC analyst Johnny Weir, who wrote, “John Coughlin was a person who made things fun. He was a person who was talented, had an incredible laugh & would go out of his way to cheer someone up. His kindness is something I’ll never forget and his light will be missed. My prayers are with his family & friends.”
We are stunned at the news of the death of two-time U.S. pairs champion John Coughlin. Our heartfelt and deepest sympathies are with his father Mike, sister Angela and the rest of his family. Out of respect to the family, we will have no further comment until a later time.
— U.S. Figure Skating (@USFigureSkating) January 19, 2019
https://twitter.com/JohnnyGWeir/status/1086633664237240320