Former Olympian to coach U.S. short track team

The coaching position opened up with the resignation of Jae Su Chun following skate-tampering and abuse allegations.

Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP

KEARNS, Utah (AP) -- Former Olympian Guy Thibault has been chosen to take over as head coach of the U.S. Speedskating short track national racing program.

The move was announced Tuesday by the U.S. federation.

Thibault will assume his duties after the U.S. national short track championships in late December.

Interim coach Steven Gough will continue coaching the athletes through the national competition. Gough was hired after the resignation of Jae Su Chun following skate-tampering and abuse allegations.

Thibault is a Canadian native who competed in long track in both the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games. Most recently, he served as high performance adviser to the German Speedskating Federation.

Thibault was head coach of the U.S. National Long Track team from 1995-98, and head coach of the Canadian National Short Track team from 1998-2006.

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