Coach Josée Picard, whose problematic teaching practices are denounced in the recently published book A medal at all costshas resigned from her role as provincial coaches representative at Patinage Québec.
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“Mme Picard has resigned from the Patinage Québec board of directors for personal reasons,” confirmed Any-Claude Dion, general manager of the organization, in an email. The latter did not want to comment further on the departure of Mme Picard, which occurred on October 25, a week after the release of the book by our Bureau of Investigation, A medal at all costs.
Despite his resignation, Mr.me Picard is still allowed to coach in Canada, the Canadian Figure Skating Federation has confirmed.
The director general of Patinage Québec did not want to say if the coach had resigned because of revelations contained in the book, which depicts the unhealthy climate that reigned while Mme Picard trained figure skating champions Julianne Séguin and Charlie Bilodeau in Chambly until their partnership ended in 2018.
Julianne Séguin tells in this book that her trainer was obsessed with her weight and her figure. She received derogatory comments about certain parts of her body, which were never refined or cut enough for her coach.
Even after major injuries or concussions, the skater had to be back in training as soon as possible. She still claims to have agreed to return.
Now 25, Julianne Séguin still experiences concussion symptoms, including the inability to look at a screen, and suffers from anxiety attacks and severe migraines.
Silence
“Respectfully, on behalf of Patinage Québec, we will not comment on the possibility that a particular book, article, or video may have directly or indirectly influenced a specific action on the part of the organization,” said Ms.me Dio.
On the side of Skate Canada, we preferred not to comment on the resignation of Mme Picard. “This is a question that only concerns Ms. Picard and Patinage Québec,” explained Emma Bowie, Director, Communications and Strategic Initiatives for Skate Canada.
Asked about the information reported in the bookshe added that “Julianne Séguin has been a valued member of our national team program and the skating community. […] Skate Canada’s commitment to safe sport is to embed the safety and well-being of all people into the culture of skating.
Skate Canada’s mission is to mentor athletes and coaches across the country. The federation is the only one designated by the International Skating Union (ISU) as the official accrediting body for figure skating in Canada and oversees the rules and standards of the sport for the development of national and international competition in Canada. As for Patinage Québec, the organization is affiliated with Skate Canada in order to respect the standards. Together they receive millions of dollars of public money.
Inducted into the Canadian Figure Skating Hall of Fame in 2017, Josée Picard had been on the board for a few years and represented coaches in the province. She became known for having coached skating stars, including Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler as well as Julianne Séguin and Charlie Bilodeau. They all made it to the Olympics alongside Mme Picard. She also went to the important Skate America competition to accompany a pair of skaters from Canada in mid-October.
Josée Picard did not respond to our interview request.
Opacity
The general manager of Sport’Aide is not surprised that the figure skating federation does not want to give details of the resignation of one of its members or comment directly on what emerges from the book of our Bureau of investigation.
“It is often the law of omerta [dans le sport] because we know such and such. Everyone knows each other. So, unfortunately, it is a reflex to want to protect oneself, to protect people or decisions taken in the past that are difficult to justify over time. Unfortunately, it’s common to run into opacity [des fédérations]“, explains Sylvain Croteau, who says he has read the book A medal at all costs. This is why we have put in place services, such as the Independent Complaints Officer, to help victims speak out.”
“What is sad is that there are other athletes, other Julianne, somewhere, he continues, referring to various scandals, notably at Hockey Canada or Water Polo Canada. Now how can they trust their club or federation and the process when it feels like everything is hidden from us? In such a context, it is normal for an athlete to doubt that he can ask for help with peace of mind. In short, we have a lot of work to do.”
As a sign that there is an urgent need to act in the sports world, a parliamentary committee in Ottawa will begin on November 17 a study on the physical and mental health of women in all sports in the country.
The members of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women wish to table a report on the best way to tackle the problems of abuse and harassment in the sports world. The Minister of Sports, Pascale St-Onge, is on the list of people who will be called to testify before parliamentarians. The idea, proposed by Bloc Québécois MNA Andréanne Larouche, was received unanimously by the elected members of the committee.