USA Swimming To Launch Sex Abuse Scandal Against Rick Curl

USA Swimming has been hit with a sex scandal just as the 2012 London Olympics get underway. The organization has called for a hearing to probe into sex abuse charges raised against Rick Curl. The coach who trained Tom Dolan and helped him reach the Olympic podium in 1996 and 2000 has been accused of molesting former swimmer Kelly Currin from 1983 to 1986.

If that accusation is true Curl was molesting Currin from the age of 13. Curl, who was 33 at the time had agreed to pay the Currin family $150,000 for their silence according to documents received by the Washington Post.

Currin released the following statement:

“Now, I’ve gotten to the point in my life where I’m done being quiet about it. It was a crime, what happened.”

The former USA swim team member says an attorney told her parents Curl was likely to receive nothing more than a slap on the write if they pressed charge, noting that their daughter would be dragged through a lawsuit because of the claims. Currin says of her parents decision to ignore the issue:

“My parents were great parents, but they were as naive as I was.”

After a USA Swimming investigator contact Currin several months ago they agreed to further review her can and this week initiated a National Board of Review proceeding.

Currin was off to a successful career, winning the 1987 Pan Pacific championships in Australia and coming in fourth place during the 1986 Goodwill Games in Moscow. However after allegedly being molested by Rick Curl her life soon fell apart as she failed to make the 1988 Olympic games team, eventually dropped out of college and was forced to undergo years of therapy.

Sex abuse among the USA Swimming organization is nothing new, over the last decade 36 swim coaches have been banned from coaching across the county.