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Former Coach Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison for Raping Star Speedskater

A former national speedskating coach in South Korea was sentenced on Thursday to more than a decade in prison on charges of raping an Olympic athlete.

The coach, Cho Jae-beom, was accused of rape in 2019 by Shim Suk-hee, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in short-track speedskating who said he had sexually assaulted her repeatedly starting when she was 17. A district court in the city of Suwon sentenced Mr. Cho to 10 years and six months in prison, along with 200 hours of treatment in a program for sex offenders.

Ms. Shim, 23, is a well-regarded figure in a sport that is a source of national pride; short-track speedskating has produced more Olympic gold medals for South Korea than any other nation.