A U.S. Olympic fencer who’s below investigation for sexual misconduct claims to have confronted two of his teammates after they stood on the Olympic stage sporting pink face masks in what gave the impression to be a protest of his presence on the Video games.
Alen Hadzic, 29, an alternate on the boys’s epee fencing staff, wore a black masks as he was launched whereas his three different teammates wore pink ones.
Hadzic, of Montclair, New Jersey, acquired a brief suspension from the US Heart for SafeSport in June amid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by three girls, together with groping, whereas he was a scholar at Columbia College between 2013-2015.
Alen Hadzic, 29, left, an alternate on the boys’s epee fencing staff, wore a black masks as he was launched whereas his three different teammates wore pink ones in protest at being on the staff with him whereas being accused of sexual misconduct
However he informed USA Today that he feels justified in calling out his fellow fencers for his or her pink protest.
‘They by no means requested me for my facet of the story. They by no means requested for proof or how I felt,’ he mentioned.
Hadzic has maintained his innocence, dismissing the claims in opposition to him as ‘untruths.’
An arbiter overturned the suspension clearing the way in which for Hadzic to journey to Japan and compete with the remainder of the USA Fencing staff.
Choose Sherrie Krauser discovered that the suspension was ‘inappropriate to the allegations,’ and concluded that Hadzic’s participation within the Tokyo Olympics ‘wouldn’t be detrimental to the repute of america or his sport.’
Alen Hadzic, 29, an alternate on the US males’s epee fencing staff is below an investigation associated to sexual misconduct claims
The protest got here on Friday simply as Hadzic and his three different U.S. males’s epee fencers have been about to be launched earlier than their match with Japan.
Fellow fencer Curtis McDowald distributed masks with a black one for Hadzic and pink for the opposite three.
‘I simply keep in mind pondering it might be sort of foolish if I stood on the market with a black masks and I requested them if they’d an additional pink one, and so they go, “Oh, no,”‘ Hadzic mentioned.
Shortly after the U.S. have been defeated by Japan a photograph was despatched to Hadzic wherein he realized he had been duped.
‘It wasn’t actually till I noticed that image from the surface view that I noticed what was happening,’ he mentioned.
Though he was unable to search out McDowald, Hadzic says he did handle to confront his epee teammates, Jake Hoyle and Yeisser Ramirez.
American sabre fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad praised Hadzic’s teammates on Twitter for taking a stand along with an image of the picture
‘I simply informed Hoyle I used to be frankly embarrassed to be his teammate,’ Hadzic mentioned. ‘I used to be embarrassed to face up there with him.’
He claims to have just like Ramirez: ‘I chewed him out over it. I informed him it wasn’t cool.’
American sabre fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad praised Hadzic’s teammates on Twitter for taking a stand along with an image of the picture.
‘Workforce USA males’s epee staff wore pink masks for his or her opening match on the Olympics as a present of assist for sexual assault victims. Alen Hadzic— their teammate accused of rape and sexual assault— is on the left. Kudos to the staff for taking a stand. #BelieveWomen’
Hadzic mentioned in a grievance that he needed to fly by himself to Tokyo, lodge in a lodge a 25-minute drive away from Olympic Village (pictured), and to coach aside from fellow fencers
Final week, Hadzic claimed he has been unjustly remoted from the remainder of his staff competing in Tokyo and compelled to remain in a lodge 25 minutes away from the Olympic Village because of the sexual misconduct claims.
An official grievance filed by Hadzic alleges that the governing physique of his sport pressured him to fly by himself to Tokyo, lodge in a lodge situated a 25-minute drive away from the Olympic Village, and practice aside from his fellow fencers.
USA Fencing responded to Hadzic’s grievance by saying that ‘staff athletes have expressed issues for his or her security and well-being arising from [Hadzic’s] presence.’
Hadzic, pictured competing within the Males’s Epee World Cup in February 2020, has been accused of sexual misconduct by three girls between 2013 and 2015
Hadzic’s legal professional, Michael Palma, wrote within the grievance that USA Fencing desires to ‘cover’ his shopper and ‘maintain him from collaborating within the Olympic expertise that he has rightfully earned.’
Hadzic got here below scrutiny after three girls got here ahead, accusing him of sexual misconduct between 2013 and 2015.
One girl accused Hadzic of unspecified offenses in 2013, whereas the 2 have been attending Columbia College.
Hadzic was suspended from the college for a yr throughout a Title IX investigation, however he was in the end allowed to renew his research and graduated in 2015 with a Bachelor’s diploma in enterprise.
That very same yr, a second girl claimed that Hadzic groped her buttocks and pushed her in opposition to a dresser.
Talking to USA Right this moment Sports activities, the second accuser slammed the choice to raise Hadzic’s suspension and allow him to signify the US within the Olympics amid an ongoing SafeSport investigation.
‘I believe one case is sufficient so that you can not be allowed to compete on the f***ing Olympics,’ she mentioned. ‘It actually makes you query how far somebody must go to ensure that them not to have the ability to compete.’
Hadzic was suspended by US Heart for SafeSport in June, however an arbiter lifted his suspension, permitting him to compete in Tokyo
The CEO of USA Fencing defined in an e mail to Hadzic that the group didn’t have the authority to sideline him from the Tokyo Video games, but it surely has put a ‘security plan’ in place in response to complaints from a number of athletes who’ve expressed issues ‘for his or her security and well-being arising out of your presence…’
Palma mentioned USA Fencing has recognized concerning the misconduct allegations in opposition to his shopper for years however has allowed Hadzic to participate in fencing competitions everywhere in the world with none restrictions till now.
Hadzic, who based a medical analysis firm final yr, certified for the Tokyo Video games in Might after narrowly lacking a spot on Workforce USA for the 2016 Olympics, reported the New York Times.
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