Three American fencers have made a staggering protest against their own teammate at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Twitter
Three American fencers have made a staggering protest against their own teammate at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Twitter
Three American fencers have made a staggering protest against their own teammate at the Tokyo Olympics on Friday.
Jake Hoyle, Curtis McDowald, and Yeisser Ramirez donned pink face masks in solidarity with sexual assault victims during their opening epee match against Japan.
American teammate Alen Hadzic, who wore a blackface mask, is still under investigation after three women accused him of sexual misconduct between 2013 and 2015.
"They decided to make a statement that they were not standing for him being there," a fencing athlete told BuzzFeedNews.
"They wanted to make a distinction between themselves that they didn't stand for sexual assault or abuse against women.
American fencer and 2016 Olympic medallist Ibtihaj Muhammad tweeted: "Kudos to the team for taking a stand."
I can't image what this is like for Hadzic's teammates.
It's not in their control whether he participates in the Games, but they certainly can take a stand against him and his inclusion in other ways. https://t.co/IddSpfqzUD
An update from Tokyo: #TeamUSA men's epee team deliberately wore pink masks for their opening match to stand in solidarity w/ sexual assault survivors and against their teammate, Alen Hadzic, who is under investigation for sexual assault
An arbitrator then overturned the suspension last month, allowing Hadzic to compete in the Olympics as an alternate in the men's epee competition.
Full Kiwi schedule below. Click on a name to see athlete's bio, upcoming events, past Games performance and medal chance.
Hadzic was originally denied his request to stay inside the Village during the Games by USA Fencing as part of a "safety plan".
The 29-year-old has previously said the claims made against him are "frankly not true".
According to an official complaint filed by Hadzic, USA Fencing forced him to fly by himself to Tokyo, train separately from the rest of the team and is bunking him in a hotel.
Hadzic appealed the measures taken by USA Fencing, describing his restrictions as "arbitrary and unnecessary".
His appeal was heard by an independent arbitrator which upheld the restrictions placed on him.
As reported by USA Today, Hadzic's lawyer Michael Palma said Hadzic has been permitted to move to accommodation closer to the Village, but will still not be able to enter the official athletes accommodation.
Where to get help:
• If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. • If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on: 0800 044 334 or text 4334. • Alternatively contact your local police station. • If you have been abused, remember it's not your fault.
