U.S. speedskater Simon Cho allegedly tampered with the skates of a Canadian rival at last year's world short track team speed skating championships in Poland on the orders of his coach, according to an arbitration filing.
The charge is contained in the filing on behalf of 13 U.S. short track skaters seeking to have coach Jae Su Chun dismissed from his job as head coach of the national team. They allege that Chun allegedly asked Cho to sabotage a Canadian skater. Chun has yet to respond to the allegations in the request for arbitration document filed Tuesday.
Speed Skating Canada said Thursday that it was aware of the tampering allegation and it would have no comment until the issue has been resolved in court.
According to the filing, Cho later told a teammate in a written message, "It is my darkest secret and I regret it."
Cho won a bronze medal in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.
U.S. Speedskating suspended Chun last weekend, pending the results of an investigation by a law firm into charges of abuse against the coach filed last week by more than a dozen skaters.
The arbitration document alleges Chun asked Cho to tamper with the skates of Canadian Oliver Jean before the final of the 5,000-metre relay. Canada was only able to field three skaters in the relay because of a problem with Jean's blades.
