Ice dancer Nikolaj Soerensen believes he and partner Laurence Fournier Beaudry deserve to compete for Canada at the figure skating world championships this month amid sexual assault allegations surrounding the Danish-Canadian athlete.
The world championships are set for March 18 to 24 at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
Soerensen and Fournier Beaudry withdrew from the Canadian championship in Calgary in January after USA Today reported earlier that month an American figure skating coach and former skater accused Soerensen of sexually assaulting her in Hartford, Conn., in 2012.
The allegations have not been proven in court. Soerensen called the allegations false in an Instagram post and stated the pair withdrew from nationals because they felt it would be a distraction.
WATCH | Fournier Beaudry, Soerensen take silver at Four Continents:
The Canadian pair put up a season-best performance in China to take second place at Four Continents.
Soerensen and Fournier Beaudry returned to competition for the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Beijing at the end of January, winning a silver medal. Skate Canada then named Soerensen and Fournier Beaudry to the Canadian world championship team last month. Skate Canada chief executive officer Debra Armstrong says the organization chose the athletes based on selection criteria.
Skate Canada says the case is now in the hands of Canada’s Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner. Soerensen says he cannot comment on the details of the case.