Alen Hadzic, an alternate on the U.S. Olympic fencing team who is accused of sexual misconduct, has been ostracized in Tokyo and prevented from staying in the Olympic Village. On Friday, his teammates protested his presence face to face — or, more precisely, mask to mask. During introductions for the team épée competition, three U.S. fencers wore pink masks, apparently in support of sexual assault victims, while Hadzic was left wearing a black one. A photograph of the unsettled team showed the fencers standing in stark contrast. “Kudos to the team for taking a stand,” tweeted Ibtihaj Muhammad, who won a bronze medal in the women’s saber competition in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and became the first Muslim woman to represent the United States at an Olympics while wearing a hijab.

Source: New York Times July 31, 2021 15:22 UTC