A figure-skating commentator was dismissed after being caught on a hot mic insulting Olympic gold medalist Meagan Duhamel

• A British commentator called the figure skater Meagan Duhamel a "bitch from Canada" on air.
• The skating union said Simon Reed and his co-commentator, who laughed at the remark, were dismissed.

The International Skating Union said it dismissed its world-championships commentators after one made a derogatory comment about the Canadian former skater Meagan Duhamel.

Simon Reed, a British commentator, called Duhamel, a two-time pairs world champion and Olympic gold medalist, a "bitch from Canada" at the end of a broadcast on Wednesday at the World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier, France.

Seemingly believing his microphone was turned off, Reed and his co-commentator, Nicky Slater, then laughed at the remark.

You can hear the comment in a video below, which was posted on Twitter beneath a tweet by Duhamel.

Duhamel had taken issue with Reed's commentary on the championships, particularly related to Russia's exclusion from the event because of its invasion of Ukraine.

Many of the world's top figure skaters are Russian. Russian skaters dominated the Beijing Winter Olympics in February amid the doping scandal surrounding Kamila Valieva.

"Following the Pairs Short Program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022, an open mic picked up a disrespectful comment made by the two commentators working on the international signal," the ISU said in a tweeted statement on Thursday.

"The ISU is shocked by the language used by the two commentators which does not reflect its views whatsoever. The ISU strongly condemns any statements of a discriminatory or prejudicial nature.

"There is no place for harassing and abusive language or remarks and behavior in sport and our society. The ISU took instant action with its service provider to suspend both commentators with immediate effect and neither will cover any future Figure Skating events for the ISU."

Duhamel, who retired in 2018, is working as a pundit for CBC at the tournament.

She hit out at Reed and Slater on Twitter.

"Skating world. If on Saturday when I'm working for CBC Sports, I make ANY inappropriate comments, please let me know. I want to be better and I promise not to call you a bitch," she said.

In a later tweet, she said Reed had apologized to her.

"Skating twitter, I hope we all enjoy some amazing skating today," she said. "I have received personal apologies from Simon Reed and the ISU president and I don't think a public apology is necessary at this point. I appreciate and respect their apologies."

The World Figure Skating Championships finish on Sunday.