Mariah Bell
U.S. figure skater Mariah Bell has been accused of kicking and slashing the calf of a Korean skater during a competition in Japan. Mariah Bell of the United States skates in the Ladies Free Skate during the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Feb. 8, 2019 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Getty Images/Matthew Stockman

Figure skater Mariah Bell has risen to the ranks of Olympic status following the 2018 winter games in Pyeongchang, China. While Bell has proven her skills on the ice, she has now been entwined in a scandal where she is accused of slashing a Korean figure skating competitor’s calf during a practice session at the SU World Figure Skating Championships in Japan on Wednesday.

The International Skating Union has said the injury was not intentional by Bell and no formal complaint was received from Korean skater, Lim Eun-soo. Despite being injured, Eun-soo competed and took fifth place – one spot ahead of Bell. Here’s everything we know about Bell and her figure skating career.

  1. Bell was born on April 18, 1996. She is 22-years-old.
  2. Her parents are Andy and Kendra Bell.
  3. She hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma, but moved to Texas shortly after her birth. She currently resides in Monument, Colorado.
  4. Bell attended Ralston Valley High School in Arvada, Colorado, and graduated in 2014, the Team USA website said.
  5. She currently is a student at the University of Colorado in Colorado Springs, Cosmopolitan reported.
  6. She is 5 foot, 3 inches tall, according to the Team USA website.
  7. She has an older sister named Morgan, who helps her put on her makeup before she skates and FaceTimes her when she can’t attend her performances, according to WVBT.
  8. Bell got into figure skating when her parents took a family vacation and met a coach that inspired the girls to begin a career in figure skating, WVBT reported.
  9. She began skating at the age of three, according to the Team USA website.
  10. Bell won a bronze medal at the 2017 and 2019 nationals and came in 12th at the world championships the same year. She also took a silver medal at the U.S. International Classic in Salt Lake City and a bronze medal at the Nepela Trophy in Slovakia.
  11. Bell performed in Skate America in Chicago in 2016, where she was substituted for an injured skater and came away with a silver medal, boosting her confidence to skate a high international level, WVBT reported.
  12. Her figure skating coach is Rafael Arutunian and Rohene Ward.
  13. She trains with fellow figure skater Ashley Wagner.
  14. For fun, Bell heads to the beach close to her home and watches TV, including shows such as “The Bachelor” and “The Mindy Project,” according to WVBT.
  15. She has a guinea pig named Charlie and can ride a unicycle.
  16. Bell’s boyfriend’s name is Romain Ponsart, who is also a figure skater, according to Cosmopolitan.
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