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.
In Memoriam: Remembering Weinbrenner’s Lance Nienow and More Footwear Industry Legends FN Staff
April 16, 2021: Lance R. Nienow, the former president and CEO of Weinbrenner Shoe Company Inc., died on April 11 at the age of 77.
The footwear executive spent an impressive 50 years with the Weinbrenner organization. He joined the company in 1970 and rose through the ranks, holding positions in human resources, purchasing and operations, before he was named president in 1992. He held that position until his retirement in 2010, when he joined the board of directors a role he continued until his death.
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During his tenure, Nienow is credited with maintaining Weinbrenner’s commitment to domestic manufacturing, even as the rest of the shoe industry moved its production overseas in order to meet growing consumer demand. Today, the company continues to produce a collection of specialized work boots in its Wisconsin factory.