Four Norwegian female teen-age athletes say they...

Four Norwegian female teen-age athletes say they were forced to have sex with their coaches, triggering a major controversy in Norway.

Speaking on a television program sponsored by the Norwegian Sports Assn., several athletes said that they had been sexually harassed. One of the athletes said she had become impregnated by her coach, who was married to another woman. The athlete said the coach urged her to have an abortion.

A 17-year-old said she was flattered by the romantic attentions of her coach until he started dating her teammates. Another young athlete said that she was new to a team and felt insecure over rejecting the advances of her coach.

“Sports girls that are forced to have sexual intercourse with their coaches is a bigger problem than we previously thought it was,” said Hans Skaset, president of the Norwegian Sports Assn.

Frode Kyvaag, who has been arranging sports meets in Norway since 1972 said, however: “I have experienced cases with grown men putting pressure on young girls, but the girls take the initiative just as often. There are good-looking girls with high ambitions who try to attract their coaches.”