US figure skating coach Dalilah Sappenfield banned for life after a skater cut her wrist and used GLUE to stop the bleeding - and said the coach 'constantly talked about my sex life'

Dalilah Sappenfield, a US Olympic pairs figure skating coach, has been banned for life by the U.S. Center for SafeSport for an array of alleged misconduct violations.

It comes nearly three years after figure skater Tarah Kayne said she cut her wrist in July 2019, in her dorm room at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, after Sappenfield threatened to break up her title-winning partnership with Danny O'Shea 'because of the kind of person I was'.

Kayne said she used super glue to hold her skin back together in an attempt to stop the profuse bleeding because she was too scared to go to the hospital and risk Sappenfield finding out.

She told USA Today in 2021: 'In my head, I thought I was going to die but I was afraid to go to the hospital because I didn’t want Dalilah to know about any of this.

'She (Sappenfield) 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.'

After going public with her story, Kayne - one of several skaters to file complaints about Sappenfield to SafeSport - thanked people for the widespread support she had received on social media.

In October 2021, she wrote on X: 'I want to thank everyone who has reached out to me! This wasn’t something I wanted to do - I actually really hated having to relive it, but I love skating and it devastates me that abuse is ruining the sport for so many.

'I also want to be clear that this is not new, it has been happening for DECADES. 

'It could have and should have been stopped years ago. My story should never have happened.'

Sappenfield is yet to respond to the ruling, but does have the right to an appeal. SafeSport announced the 'permanent illegibility' on its database on Wednesday.

Sappenfield had been temporarily banned while an investigation into her conduct was ongoing.

USA Today also says that SafeSport investigated a separate incident involving a 16-year-old female Russian skater staying at Sappenfield's home in 2020. Two other skaters, 18-year-old males, were also living at Sappenfield's Colorado Springs home at the time.

SafeSport rules state that a coach is not allowed to house a minor athlete.

SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon said in a statement to USA Today about the ruling: 'Culture change is happening. Actions that were once tolerated or ignored are no longer accepted, and accountability is taking root.'

Sappenfield had worked as a coach since 1993 and was the recipient of the 2008 Professional Skaters Association/U.S. Figure Skating Coach of the Year award. 

She coached three-time national champions Alexa and Chris Knierim to a qualifying spot in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.