US fencer accused of sexual misconduct loses appeal to move into Olympic Village at Tokyo Games
TOKYO – Alen Hadzic, the U.S. Olympic fencer under investigation for sexual misconduct, on Thursday lost his appeal to move into the Olympic Village a day before the Tokyo Games were set to open, his attorney told USA TODAY Sports.
An arbitrator upheld restrictions that were placed on Hadzic by USA Fencing and prohibited him from staying with his teammates, said attorney Michael Palma, who represents Hazdic. The fencer has been staying at a hotel about a 30-minute drive from the Olympic Village.
The restrictions have been characterized by USA Fencing as part of a “safety plan," according to a complaint Hadzic filed with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) and led to the arbitration hearing.
Palma said he thought the arbitrator “split the baby" by ruling Hadzic can move to a hotel closer to the Olympic training center to cut down on his daily commute, but also noted the arbitrator said “Alen did not prevail."
Said USOPC spokesperson Jon Mason: “The process was properly followed. The athletes had the opportunity to be heard, and we are satisfied with the decision.”
In May, after Hadzic qualified for the Olympic fencing team as the men’s epee alternate, three women reported to the U.S. Center for SafeSport that Hadzic committed sexual misconduct against them during separate incidents between 2013 and 2015. On June 2, U.S. SafeSport temporarily suspended Hadzic, who has denied the allegations.
An arbitrator lifted the temporary suspension June 28, allowing Hadzic to join the team. But USA Fencing imposed restrictions as a condition of his participation at the Tokyo Games.
At the hearing, Palma said, Katharine “Kat’’ Holmes, a member of the Olympic fencing team, said she had collected electronic signatures from every team member in support of a document stating Hazdic should not be allowed to participate at the Olympics. Palma said Holmes is an athlete representative of the USA Fencing board of directors and the female athlete representative.
Palma disputed whether Holmes had the signatures, but he also said, “maybe one or two girls are just taking the side of, I don’t want to be around him, which sucks for Alen, because at the end of the day, when’s the next time he’s going to be able to partake in this kind of experience?
“Probably never again."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olympian accused of sexual misconduct loses bid to lift restrictions
