Nikolaj Soerensen, the Canadian figure skater facing allegations of sexual assault, announced that he and his ice dance partner, Laurence Fournier Beaudry, will not participate in this week's national championships.
USA Today reported last week that Canada's Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) was investigating Soerensen over an alleged sexual assault of an American figure skating coach and former skater in 2012.
"These allegations are false, and I intend to strongly defend myself and my reputation," Soerensen wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
"Laurence and I have made the difficult decision not to compete in the National Championships in Calgary this week. While we do not wish to withdraw, we feel that our participation would be distracting and that sportsmanship must continue to be the focus of the event.
"I will continue to cooperate fully with OSIC's investigation. Given OSIC's Confidentiality Policy, I am unable to comment further."
Soerensen and Fournier Beaudry, who won ice dance gold at last year's championships, placed ninth at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
Fournier Beaudry said it was a "very challenging situation."
"While I strongly believe that everyone must be protected and safe in sport, I know that my partner is a man of integrity, respect, and kindness," she posted on her Instagram page.
Addressing the USA Today article in a statement last week, Skate Canada stated: "We take harassment, bullying, and abuse issues extremely seriously, and we have a comprehensive process to address allegations of such behavior."
