sixth knee surgery in mid-1997. On 8 December 1997, a passing car's side window hit Steuer's arm, partly tearing ligaments in his right shoulder. Pain radiated to his neck and face and caused headaches but he continued to skate. Wötzel/Steuer won the silver medal at the Champions Series Final, held 19–20 December 1997 in Munich, Germany. When he caught her during a triple twist in the long program, Steuer felt a sharp pain that extended to his head. They stayed off the ice for the following three weeks. Wötzel/Steuer missed the 1998 European Championships as a result but returned in time for the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, where they won the bronze medal. They then retired from competition and skated in shows and professional events. Coaching career After his skating career ended, Steuer began working as a coach and choreographer based in Chemnitz. Skaters he has worked with include: Nicole Nönning / Matthias Bleyer (ended career in 2005) Eva-Maria Fitze / Rico Rex (switched to Monika Scheibe in December 2005) Aliona Savchenko / Robin Szolkowy (five-time World champions). Steuer coached them during their entire career as a pair, from 2003 to 2014. Tatiana Volosozhar / Stanislav Morozov (Ukraine): Steuer coached them from summer 2008 until Morozov's retirement following the 2010 Olympics. Rachel Kirkland / Eric Radford (Canada) in 2008. Anaïs Morand / Antoine Dorsaz (Switzerland) in 2010. Daria Popova / Bruno Massot (2012 French champions). Steuer coached the pair in 2011 along with Jean-Francois Ballester. Aliona Savchenko / Bruno Massot Haven Denney / Brandon Frazier (United States) 2015–present Steuer said he would leave Germany if the Interior Ministry and Deutsche Eislauf-Union did not resolve his status. On 21 July 2014, the DOSB Stasi Commission announced that it would allow Steuer to work for the DEU and receive public funds. Stasi activities and legal battles In the 1980s, Ingo Steuer was an informant for the Stasi, the East German secret police. His activities included circulating information on his countrymen. Because of this, he has been a controversial figure in Germany. Prior to the 2006 Winter Olympics, an investigation by the National Olympic Committee determined that his involvement was so severe as to exclude him from the national team. The matter eventually went to court, where a judge ruled in Steuer's favor. At the 2006 Turin games, however, he was forbidden to wear the German team clothes. Savchenko/Szolkowy were encouraged