Seattle area Olympic swim coach banned from sport in sex misconduct case

SEATTLE (AP) — The former U.S. Olympic swim team coach alleged to have sexually abused a swimmer in a years-long relationship that began when the athlete was a minor has been banned from the sport for life.

The Orange County Register reports the findings citing confidential documents from the U.S. Center for Safe Sport's investigation of former U.S. Olympic and USA Swimming national team coach Sean Hutchison.

It comes after Olympic swimmer Ariana Kukors Smith sued USA Swimming in May, alleging the sport's national governing body knew her former coach began sexually abused her as a minor on a Seattle-area swim club but failed to protect her.

Kukors Smith declined comment.

A lawyer for Hutchison, who hasn't been criminally charged, said he hasn't received new information on a pending federal investigation.