Jacob Hoyle and Curtis McDowald of the USA in their pink masks, protesting teammate Alen Hadzic. (Getty)
Hadzic did not actually compete; he was a team alternate. The USA lost to Japan to place ninth in the event but made a strong statement on the world stage denouncing violence against women.
Three women had accused Hadzic of sexual assault. He was suspended by the US Centre for SafeSport on June 2 but the ban was overturned, allowing him to go to the Olympics. Yet USA Fencing was against his inclusion and he was not welcome with his teammates.
Hadzic was treated as a virtual outcast despite his presence. He was subject to a safety plan that included being barred from training alongside female fencers, made to arrange his own travel to Tokyo, barred from the Olympic village and instead forced to stay in a hotel.
US Olympic fencers wear pink masks to protest against teammate accused of sexual misconduct - Art & Culture
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2021 Olympics: US fencer Alen Hadzic confronts teams over pink masks
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