Top-ranked Danish-Canadian ice dancer Nikolaj Soerensen has been ruled ineligible to compete following the findings of an investigation for sexual misconduct.
The investigation started following an accusation that Soerensen had sexually assaulted a figure skating coach in 2012. The woman, who was a year younger than Soerensen at the time, submitted a graphic report of the incident to the Canadian Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) and the American SafeSport organizations per USAToday.
Reports of the accusation and ensuing investigation first became public in January of this year thanks to reporting from USAToday’s Christine Brennan.
The findings were published on OSIC’s Abuse-Free Sports Registry earlier today, stating he has been banned indefinitely with a minimum penalty of six years. The athlete does have the option to challenge or appeal the ruling. Soerensen continues to deny the allegations and maintains his innocence.
The OSIC was created in the summer of 2022 and works to apply the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport. Skate Canada is a signatory and will now uphold the decision.
Soerensen was born in Denmark and competed for the country during the first part of his career. He switched to represent Canada in 2018 and became a Canadian citizen in 2021.
The 2023 Canadian Championship ice dancing gold medalist has been skating with Quebec native Laurence Fournier Beaudry for over a decade, and the duo has earned many podium finishes together.
They withdrew from the Canadian Championships earlier this year following the publication of the accusation. However, they then returned to competition while the investigation took place, including competing at the 2024 Shanghai Four Continents Championship, where they won a silver medal.
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