Three U.S. men’s Olympic team fencers wore pink masks when they arrived in Tokyo for their opening game against Japan on Friday.
But the coordinated masks were no accident; They were a planned protest by the trio against a teammate accused of sexual assault, team close sources told BuzzFeed News.
Photos shared on social media showed three of the four athletes on the men’s sword team – Jake Hoyle, Curtis McDowald and Yeisser Ramirez – wearing pink masks, while teammate Alen Hadzic – who is under investigation for sexual assault – wore a black one .
“The contempt was clear,” a source told BuzzFeed News.
“They have decided to make a statement that they do not represent his presence,” said another fencer who did not participate in the Tokyo Olympics. “They wanted to make a difference that they didn’t stand for sexual assault or abuse against women. These athletes wanted a voice where US fencing and SafeSport failed.”
Despite having faced at least three past sexual misconduct allegations, Hadzic was selected to replace the men’s sword team for the 2020 Olympics, causing dismay and outrage among Team USA fencers, according to a BuzzFeed News investigation has been described in detail.
His admission prompted six female fencers, including two Olympic athletes, to urge the International Olympic Committee not to allow him to represent the United States; His presence is a “direct affront” for fellow athletes and endangers them.
“We are deeply concerned about the impact Mr. Hadzic’s potential presence will have on other Team USA athletes,” the women wrote on May 20.
While the US Center for SafeSport, the non-profit agency responsible for protecting athletes from abuse, suspended Hadzic from the Olympics last month as a result of an investigation, he fought through arbitration to have his ban lifted.
USA Fencing put in place a “safety plan” to keep Hadzic out of women and out of the Olympic Village, which included traveling and staying separate from his teammates.
He was also banned from training with female teammates.
Hadzic has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct and told USA Today that “they are falsehoods”. His attorney Michael Palma told the New York Times that his client never committed sexual assault.
USA Fencing did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the pink masks.
But the stunt was praised by the U.S. fencer and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, Ibtihaj Muhammad.
“Kudos to the team for taking a stand,” she tweeted on Friday.
While Hadzic did not participate on Friday, the team lost to Japan and finished ninth.
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