A US Olympic fencer claims he has been unjustly isolated from the rest of his team competing in Tokyo and forced to stay in a hotel 25 minutes away from the Olympic Village after being accused of sexual misconduct by three women.
Alen Hadzic, 29, an alternate on the men's epee fencing team, is now fighting to have what he calls 'arbitrary and unnecessary' restrictions that have been imposed on him by the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee lifted ahead of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Games on Friday.
Hadzic, of Montclair, New Jersey, received a temporary suspension from the US Center for SafeSport in June amid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, including groping, while he was a student at Columbia University between 2010-2015.
Alen Hadzic, 29, an alternate on the US men's epee fencing team, wants restrictions on his movements in Tokyo lifted. He is under an investigation related to sexual misconduct claims
Hadzic says in a complaint that he had to fly by himself to Tokyo, lodge in a hotel a 25-minute drive away from Olympic Village (pictured), and train apart from fellow fencers
Hadzic has maintained his innocence, dismissing the claims against him as 'untruths.'
An arbiter has since overturned the suspension, clearing the way for Hadzic to travel to Japan and compete with the rest of the USA Fencing team, reported USA Today Sports.
Judge Sherrie Krauser found that the suspension was 'inappropriate to the allegations,' and concluded that Hadzic's participation in the Tokyo Olympics 'would not be “detrimental to the reputation of the United States or his sport.'
But according to the athlete and his attorney, he is being denied the full Olympic experience by being kept apart from his teammates.
An official complaint filed by Hadzic alleged that the governing body of his sport forced him to fly by himself to Tokyo, lodge in a hotel located a 25-minute drive away from the Olympic Village, and train apart from his fellow fencers.
USA Fencing responded to Hadzic's complaint by
