Mark Cockerell

Mark Wayne Cockerell(born April 24, 1962) is a former Americanfigure skater.He is the1976 World Juniorchampion, the 1978Nebelhorn Trophysilver medalist, and a three-timeU.S. senior nationalmedalist (bronze in 1983 and in 1984, silver in 1985).

Mark Cockerell
Full name	Mark Wayne Cockerell
Born	(1962-04-24)April 24, 1962 Burbank, California
Height	1.65 m (5 ft 5 in)
Figure skating career
Retired	1985
Medal record Figure skating:Men's singles RepresentingUnited States World Junior Championships 1976 Megève Men's singles

Personal life

Cockerell was born April 24, 1962, inBurbank, California.He was married to Soviet figure skaterElena Kvitchenko,with whom he has a son and a daughter.He later married a former student immediately after she turned 18.He now lives in Nevada.

Career

Cockerell won gold at the World Junior Championships in the event's inaugural year,1976.After moving up to the senior level, he won silver at three international competitions – the 1978Nebelhorn Trophyin West Germany, 1978Grand Prix International St. Gervaisin France, and 1980Ennia Challenge Cupin the Netherlands.

Cockerell won his first senior national medal, bronze, at the 1983 U.S. Championships. He finished 14th at the1983 World ChampionshipsinHelsinki,Finland.

The following season, he won another national bronze medal and was named in the U.S. team to the1984 Winter OlympicsinSarajevo,Yugoslavia.There, Cockerell became the first man to execute a triple-triple jump combination at the Olympics, and finished 13th overall after placing 18th in compulsory figures, 17th in the short program, and tenth in the free skate. Concluding his season, he placed 13th at the1984 World ChampionshipsinOttawa,Ontario,Canada.

Cockerell was awarded the silver medal at the 1985 U.S. Championships, having placed second toBrian Boitano.He finished 8th at the1985 World ChampionshipsinTokyo,Japan.

Coaching

Cockerell has previously coached at Quad City Sports Center (now River’s Edge) inDavenport, Iowa.In 2002, theQuad-City Timesreported that he had stepped down from his position as a skating director following allegations that he had been living with his skaters and engaging in inappropriate relationships with them. He has spent time coaching in California, Florida, Ohio and Tennessee in addition to the Plex Hiwire Sports Center inIrmo, South Carolina.He began coaching at Reno Ice inReno, Nevada,in spring 2023. His independent contract with Reno Ice was terminated on February 3, 2024, in response to sexual assault allegations.

Sexual abuse allegations

On February 8, 2024, Mark Cockerell was identified in a federal lawsuit filed by two South Carolina women against the coach andU.S. Figure Skating,alleging sexual abuse. The lawsuit claims that Cockerell's misconduct began in 2018 when one victim was 14, and asserts that earlier investigations could have prevented the abuse. A third victim came forward after the lawsuit was filed.Further lawsuits were filed by a fourth victim, who was under the age of 18 at the time of the abuse, and two mothers of victims.The lawsuits allege that Cockerell had been sexually abusing underage girls since the early 1990s.The types of abuse detailed include rape, inappropriate touching, sexual comments, grooming, and emotional abuse.Several victims said they had developed eating disorders as a result of bodyshaming comments made by Cockerell.

Results

International
Event	75–76	78–79	79–80	80–81	81–82	82–83	83–84	84–85
Olympics							13th
Worlds						14th	13th	8th
NHK Trophy						4th
Challenge Cup				2nd
Nebelhorn		2nd
St. Gervais		2nd
International: Junior
Junior Worlds	1st
National
U.S. Champ.			8th		5th	3rd	3rd	2nd