US figure skater accused of deliberately slashing rival at world championships

An American figure skater has been accused of colliding into a 16-year-old Korean rival in the final warm-up session ahead of the opening of the World Figure Skating Championships in Japan.

Lim Eun-soo sustained a gash to her calf as she prepared to compete in the ladies’ short programme at the championships. Her agency accused Mariah Bell of intentionally injuring Ms Lim with the blade of her skate.

In echoes of the infamous incident involving US skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan in January 1994, Ms Lee’s representatives have claimed there are sufficient grounds to believe Ms Bell’s act was premeditated.

A representative of All That Sports told Yonhap News that during the official rehearsal period, “Lim was slowly skating on the edge of the rink after completing her turn. Mariah Bell, who was scheduled to rehearse after Lim, suddenly kicked and stabbed Lim’s calf with her skate blades.

“Mariah Bell didn’t apologise to Lim Eun-soo after the incident and instead continued to rehearse for her routine”, the official added. “We believe this is not a minor situation that can happen in an official rehearsal.

“We have asked the Korea Skating Union to file an official complaint against Mariah Bell for her intentional infliction of Lim Eun-soo’s injury”.

Ms Lim was treated for an injury and was later able to compete in the tournament with a sticking plaster covering her wound.

The Korean skater finished the day in fifth position with a personal high score in her first senior world championships, ahead of 22-year-old Ms Bell in sixth position.

Both skaters are under based in Los Angeles and are under the tutelage of Rafael Arutyunyan, with Ms Lim’s agency also accusing Ms Bell of “bullying” her for several months and for launching into a verbal attack against Ms Lim immediately before the competition in Japan.

Neither of the skaters has commented on the incident.