Ashley Wagner: 3-Time US National Champion

Figure skater Ashley Wagner opened up about why she came forward with her story of sexual assault.

The three-time U.S. national champion, 28, recently revealed that she was sexually assaulted at age 17 by her former teammate, John Coughlin, who died earlier this year.



In an exclusive interview on the 3rd hour of TODAY, Wagner said she shared her story to prevent anything similar happening to the next generation of young skaters. She said felt compelled to speak up when she watched the 13-year-old skater Alysa Liu become this year’s national champion.

“In January, I watched Alysa Liu … coming into this world that I find so extremely flawed, and it just made me sick to my stomach,” Wagner said.

“I feel like it’s my job as someone in this generation of skating to make the sport safer, because I know what it’s like and I know what to expect, and that 13-year-old girl does not deserve to go through the world the way that I did.”



Wagner acknowledged that U.S. Figure Skating has made some important strides in protecting young skaters, including hiring trained chaperones to protect them while traveling and during skating events.

However, she said it’s still not enough.

“It’s a start, but change needs to happen quicker, because every single day that goes by without a massive change being made is another kid who’s getting put into a very uncomfortable situation.”