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“We are gravely 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 nonprofit agency responsible for protecting athletes from abuse, suspended Hadzic from the Olympics last month due to an investigation, he fought to get his prohibition lifted through an arbitration process.
USA Fencing created a “safety plan” to keep Hadzic away from women and out of the Olympic Village, which included him traveling and staying separately from his teammates.
He was also forbidden from practicing with women teammates.
Hadzic has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct, telling USA Today that “they’re untruths.” His attorney, Michael Palma, told the New York Times that his client had never committed any acts of sexual assault.
USA Fencing did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the pink masks.
But the stunt earned praise from US fencer and 2016 Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad.
“Kudos to the team for taking a stand,” she tweeted on Friday.
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