[ad_1]
by Tom Morgan in Tokyo.
Teammates of a US Olympic fencer beneath investigation for sexual misconduct have been sporting pink face masks in obvious protest towards him.
Alen Hadzic, 29, was quickly suspended in June by governing our bodies after three ladies made allegations about him courting again to 2013 and 2015, in response to a number of stories in America.
Nevertheless, Hadzic, who has vowed to clear his title, mentioned he this week confronted two of the man fencers over the obvious act of solidarity with these making claims towards him.
The accused athlete, who’s a reserved to the boys’s epee group, wore a black masks throughout introductions whereas his teammates wore the pink masks. “They by no means requested me for my aspect of the story,” Hadzic advised American web site USA At this time. “They by no means requested for proof or how I felt.”
In line with the web site, an “arbitrator” overturned the momentary suspension by the US Heart for SafeSport final month, permitting Hadzic to hitch the group in Tokyo. Hadzic, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, was first named in a report on the web site Buzzfeed, which revealed he had been compelled to remain in a resort in isolation away from the athletes village.
The fencers have been making ready for his or her match towards Japan when teammate Curtis McDowald handed out masks, a black one for Hadzic and pink masks for the three different fencers.
“I simply keep in mind considering it will be form of foolish if I stood on the market with a black masks and I requested them if that they had an additional (pink) one, they usually go, ‘Oh, no,’ ” Hadzic added.
His legal professional, Michael Palma, has advised the New York Instances that his shopper had by no means dedicated any acts of sexual assault. USA Fencing has not responded to a request for remark concerning the pink masks.
US fencer and 2016 Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad tweeted: “Kudos to the group for taking a stand.”
[ad_2]
Source link
