“We are extremely concerned about the impact of Mr. Hadzic’s potential presence on other Team USA athletes,” the women wrote May 20.
While the US Center for SafeSport, the nonprofit body responsible for protecting athletes from abuse, suspended Hadzic from the Olympics last month due to an investigation, he has struggled to get it right. The ban was lifted through an arbitration process.
Fencing USA created a “safety plan” to keep Hadzic away from women and out of the Olympic Village, which included him traveling and staying separate from his teammates.
He was also banned from training with female teammates.
Hadzic has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct, saying USA Today that “they are not true.” His attorney, Michael Palma, told New York Times that his client has never committed any acts of sexual assault.
USA Fining did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the pink masks.
But the stunt received praise from US track and field athlete and 2016 Olympic medalist Ibtihaj Muhammad.
“Kudo to the team for standing firm,” she tweeted on Friday.
