Olympic Vice Champion Accused of Sexual Harassment of Minors

Retired French ski racer Joël Chenal is accused of sexual harassment of minors. The 2006 Turin Silver medallist, once a fixture in elite Alpine skiing and later a coach of aspiring athletes, is being accused by seven women of sexual harassment in the early 2000s, when they were underage minors. The allegations have rocked the French skiing world and triggered calls for accountability within the sport’s institutions.

On Friday, July 4, the French newspaper Le Monde published an in-depth investigation detailing accusations that Chenal, now 51, sent sexually explicit messages to young female athletes during his coaching career. According to the report, Chenal contacted girls as young as 12 on social media, praising their appearance, asking for nude photographs, or inviting them to private photo sessions. The women’s accounts—seven in total—describe a strikingly similar pattern of behavior. Le Monde alleges that at least two formal complaints were filed with the French police. One case was dropped, while the other resulted in an official warning in 2016, not recorded on his criminal record. However, the French Ski Federation (FFS) is said to not have taken any action aside from the warning, exposing numerous underage athletes to unacceptable sexual harassment.

The timing of the revelations sent shockwaves through the FFS, whose annual general assembly was underway in Marseille. Joël Chenal’s name dominated quiet conversations among delegates as they gathered for coffee inside the Palais du Pharo, overlooking the Mediterranean. FFS President Fabien Saguez opened the meeting with a direct acknowledgment of the allegations. “My first thoughts go to the victims,” Saguez told a visibly uncomfortable audience. “We will do everything to help them.” He announced that the FFS will refer the matter to its ethics and deontology committee starting Monday to investigate further.

The FFS has been criticized for failing to act on earlier warning signs. Rumors about Chenal’s conduct reportedly circulated as early as 2013, though no formal reports were filed at the time. “It is said that everyone knew, but we had not received any formal alerts,” Saguez said. According to Le Monde, initial concerns were raised in 2009, and a disciplinary warning followed in 2015 after a complaint from an athlete. Despite this, Chenal remained in his coaching role until May 2017, when his contract was not renewed and he was replaced by Vincent Millet.

While Chenal denies having committed any inappropriate acts, he acknowledged the existence of the exchanges. “I never went or thought I would go to these young girls, nor committed the slightest inappropriate act against them,” he told Le Monde, adding that he has since undergone therapy and focused on rebuilding his life.

After leaving the national team in 2017, Chenal joined the private training group Orsatus until 2020. He then launched Silver Ski Team, a coaching program based in La Rosière near the Italian border, composed exclusively of young female athletes. The program had just begun summer training on the Pisaillas glacier in Val d’Isère when the allegations resurfaced publicly.

Michel Vion, current secretary general of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation (FIS), admitted to Le Monde that the federation “should have been more reactive, more impactful” in responding to earlier concerns.

Born in Moûtiers in 1973, Chenal made his World Cup debut in 1995 and earned his first victory in the Giant Slalom at Alta Badia in 1999. He represented France in three Winter Olympics and claimed a Silver medal in the Giant Slalom at the 2006 Turin Games. Over his 14-year career, he earned multiple World Cup podiums and five World Championship appearances before retiring in 2009.

Now, Chenal’s legacy is under intense reexamination as the ski world confronts the cost of silence and delayed accountability.