Inquiry: Sex Abuse Accusation Against Olympic Champ Credible

For the past 16 months, a law firm commissioned by USRowing has been looking into allegations that the late Olympic champ Ted Nash had decades ago sexually abused a young teen when he was her 40-year-old running coach. Now, a lengthy report with the investigation's findings have been released, and it's not good news for the two-time Olympic medalist.

• Allegations: The accusations against Nash were made by Jennifer Fox, a 64-year-old documentary filmmaker who says that when she was 13, Nash first groomed her, then started coercing her into having sex with him, multiple times over the course of several months in the early '70s, per the New York Times.
• Revelation: The AP notes that Fox detailed the sexual abuse in her 2018 film The Tale, though she didn't name names. Then, last year, she granted an interview with the Times that specifically pointed the finger at Nash.

• Report: The new 154-page report now says it finds Fox's allegations credible, and that its interviews backed up her claims. It added that it didn't stumble upon any proof that "expressly refutes" what she has said or find a motive why she would lie about the abuse.
• Fox's reaction: "I'm thrilled, because this is what I hoped for," Fox tells the Times. "This whole process has been really, really hard, and the result is like removing a lifelong festering tumor from your body."
• Nash's wife: Nash died in 2021 at the age of 88, and although his widow, Jan Nash, hadn't yet responded to the Times' request for comment, she'd said last year that "it's just not fair" Fox had publicly accused Nash after he could no longer defend himself.
• USRowing: The group says the probe was necessary anyway, noting in a release that it "initiated this investigation because we determined that the gravity of Ms. Fox's claims outweighed Mr. Nash's inability to respond to these allegations." It added it was stripping Nash of all honors it had conferred on him over the years, including a 2005 "Man of the Year" award, and said his name wouldn't be on any future awards lists. "While we understand that this outcome may be difficult for some members of our community, our commitment to a safe environment, free of abuse for the rowing community, is unwavering," the organization noted.

(More rowing stories.)