Figure Skater Tarah Kayne Details Abuse Allegations Against Coach Dalilah Sappenfield

American figure skater Tarah Kayne said she provided the U.S. Center for SafeSport with details of verbal and emotional abuse from Dalilah Sappenfield, who served as her coach during a pairs partnership with Danny O'Shea.

Christine Brennan of USA Today reported Friday the U.S. Center for SafeSport has barred Sappenfield from contacting 12 figure skaters and required her other coaching sessions be supervised by an adult while it investigates the allegations.

Kayne, who recently retired from the sport, told Brennan she cut her wrist after a conversation with Sappenfield in 2019 where the coach threatened to end her partnership with O'Shea "not because of my skill set, she said, but because of the kind of person I was." She also alleged the coach would use details from her personal life as part of the abuse:

"She was constantly talking about sex, about who I was dating, about my sex life. It was completely inappropriate, but that's what Dalilah does. She uses gossip from other skaters in the rink against you. She knew I was struggling with my mental health, but instead of helping me, she chose to make fun of me. She even went to other skaters and told them about it, calling me names and asking the guys why anyone would want to date me."

Sappenfield provided a statement to USA Today in response to the allegations: "Thank you for reaching out to me. At this time I have no comment."

Kayne and O'Shea won the pairs' gold medal at the 2016 U.S. Figure Skating Championships and served as Team USA's alternate pairs tandem for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

The 28-year-old Florida native told Brennan she originally planned to compete through next year's Olympics in Beijing, but her relationship with Sappenfield continued to deteriorate to the point where the coach wouldn't allow her to talk during training sessions, beginning in the summer of 2020:

"She told me not to speak, that I should remain silent. This made me very tense and anxious so I would hold my hands down by my waist, cupped together, left hand over right, and I would take my right hand and dig my fingernails into my left wrist and would make myself bleed all the time. Then I would go to the bathroom to try to calm down before going back to the ice."

Kayne added the "awful experiences forced me out of the sport I love."

O'Shea, who changed coaches and is currently competing alongside Chelsea Liu, sent a statement to Brennan via text message:

"I support Tarah in every way, as I did while we were partners for nine years. Tarah is a strong woman and I am proud of her for coming forward and hope that her strength is a beacon for others. Together we chose to leave a training environment that had become unhealthy for us. I stand by Tarah, and I support SafeSport and their ongoing investigations."

SafeSport confirmed its temporary measures against Sappenfield while it reviews the allegations but wouldn't provide any further details about the investigation.

"The Center does not comment on matters to protect the integrity of the process and the parties involved," spokesperson Dan Hill told USA Today.

Sappenfield has coached several national champions at every level of American figure skating and was voted the 2008 coach of the year by U.S. Figure Skating and the Professional Skaters Association.

The coaching restrictions against her were put in place Sept. 3 by SafeSport.