Former skier Joël Chenal, accused of sexual assault, is "banned from working" as a coach

Accused of sexual harassment of a minor by seven women and the subject of a complaint for sexual assault, the 51-year-old former skier, Joël Chenal, is now "banned from practicing" as a coach, the result of an "emergency order" issued by the prefect of Savoie, the Ministry of Sports told AFP on Thursday.

Following two articles published in July in Le Monde , which cross-referenced testimonies and highlighted the omerta in the skiing world , an administrative investigation was launched into facts dating back to 2015. And therefore resulted in this administrative ban from practicing, which withdraws the benefit of his professional sports instructor card, necessary to work in any club.

Olympic giant slalom runner-up at the Turin Olympics in 2006, who became a coach, Chenal currently works in his training structure "Silver Ski Team" based in the resort of La Rosière, near Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

The French Ski Federation (FFS), for which Joël Chenal worked as a coach from 2013 to 2017, announced last week his "immediate provisional suspension" following the new accusations against him, in particular the complaint confirmed by the Albertville prosecutor's office .

Three weeks after an initial investigation by the daily newspaper Le Monde in which the former skier was accused by seven women, the newspaper reported last week that five new people were accusing Joël Chenal of sexual harassment, including the woman who filed a complaint on Monday for "assault."

According to Le Monde, Joël Chenal allegedly took advantage of his status as a former champion to offer coaching services to the complainant, who was 17 at the time, before veering the conversation toward sexual advances. All the women who testified to the newspaper were minors at the time of the events.