Ariana Kukors made claims against Sean Hutchison last year ©Getty Images

An FBI agent hired to investigate sexual misconduct claims against USA Swimming coach Sean Hutchison believes that the probe was not as extensive as it should have been, it has been reported.

Hutchison was cleared of wrongdoing in 2011 after Paulette Brundage was tasked with investigating an alleged sexual or romantic relationship with swimmer Ariana Kukors, claimed to have begun when she was underage.

At the time USA Swimming said the case was closed because both parties "unequivocally denied the existence of a romantic or sexual relationship".

But a deposition obtained by the Orange County Register reveals that Brundage disputes the claim that the inquiry was a "full investigation by an independent investigator", the newspaper said.

"It was not a full investigation," Brundage is quoted as saying.

Kukors, winner of a World Championship gold medal in the 200 metres medley in Rome in 2009, wrote a blog detailing claims against Hutchison in February of last year.

The now 29-year-old described the coach as a "horrible monster" and claimed they were engaged in a sexual relationship before she turned 18.

Hutchison denies the allegations but was banned for life by the US Center for SafeSport in October.

According to the Orange County Register, Brundage believes officials and attorneys for USA Swimming "falsely characterised the findings and extent of the investigation and shut down the probe before she could interview several key witnesses".

Statements provided by Dara Torres reportedly contradict official accounts ©Getty Images
Statements provided by Dara Torres reportedly contradict official accounts ©Getty Images

She reportedly could not interview Dana Vollmer, who shared a room with Kukors before the 2009 World Championships, or national team director Mark Schubert who was reportedly driving the allegations. 

Statements provided by quadruple Olympic champion Dara Torres also allegedly contradict official accounts.

In February 2018, the Orange County Register published a report based on "thousands of pages of documents" which claimed that USA Swimming officials failed to adequately investigate "hundreds" of abuse allegations.

President and chief executive Tim Hinchey at the time claimed the organisation "would not tolerate" such misconduct.

USA Swimming's safe sport director Susan Woessner was also forced to resign after admitting she once kissed Hutchison, who she later went on to help investigate.

Sexual abuse allegations have overshadowed American sport in recent years.

This is most notable in gymnastics where former team doctor Larry Nassar was jailed for up to 175 years for abusing dozens of athletes, including Olympians.

insidethegames has contacted USA Swimming for comment.