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Swimming scandal: ABC’s 20/20 investigation

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It was fairly astonishing, and compelling, television on an ordinary Friday night.

And the words deeply disturbing should be included, too.

There were bad guys (rogue swim coaches), good guys (prosecutors) and one deer-looking-caught-in-the-headlights official (USA Swimming’s Chuck Wielgus).

ABC News sent out a release earlier on Friday talking about its investigation into a sex abuse scandal in the sport of swimming, which revealed at least 36 coaches have been ‘banned for life by USA Swimming over the last 10 years because of sexual misconduct with teenagers they coached.’

But sitting back and watching ABC’s 20/20 was far different than reading dry words from a release.

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‘I’ve been coaching for 27 years and this has been an on-going problem for all 27 years of it,’ respected swim coach Ken Stopkotte of Indiana told 20/20. ‘...I don’t feel like it’s ever been addressed. I don’t feel like it’s been taken very seriously.’

Wielgus, the sport’s executive director, found himself on the hot seat in a tense session with ABC’s chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, and accused Ross of being unfair when Ross asked if Wielgus felt that he needed to apologize to the swimmers who were abused by their coaches.

‘I don’t want to be the one to sit here and say 36 is not too many,’ Wielgus said. ‘One is too many. ... But this is not just a problem that’s isolated in one sport. ... I’m not seeking to minimize it. You’re seeking to extenuate it.’

Ross asked whether an apology was in order.

‘You feel I need to apologize to them?’ Wielgus said. ‘This is a tragic situation. I think it’s unfair for you to ask me whether me individually or me as the representative of an organization to apologize for something when all we are trying to do is do everything we possibly can to create a safe and healthy environment for kids who are participating in our particular activity.’

-- Lisa Dillman

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