Reed’s teammate on the U.S. national team, Deidra Irwin, says she had to step in to protect Reed on several occasions. Irwin, who represents the US National Guard, denounced the “harassment and misogynistic culture” to her military leadership, who called for immediate action.
It was only then, in April 2021, that US Biathlon Association (USBA) officials told SafeSport.
The organization’s 18-month investigation revealed that Garabík had repeatedly sexually harassed Reeda and forced unwanted sexual contact on her. The Czech international was banned for six months and placed on probation until December 2024.
In biathlon, the smoothness of the skis plays an important role in the results of the competition. That’s why it’s not easy for an athlete sexually harassed by a ski oiler to stop the activity “without concern that it might jeopardize the athlete’s performance,” according to a confidential SafeSport report obtained by The Associated Press.
In 2019, two-time Olympian Reed also mentioned this topic in complaints to USBA officials, but it took two years before the USBA’s case was transferred to SafeSport.
The SafeSport Center was established in 2017 to investigate and prosecute sexual harassment in Olympic sports following the long-running Larry Nassar sexual harassment scandal on the US gymnastics team.
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An investigation by SafeSport found that Garabík “engaged in a pattern of sexualised conduct” involving Reed “including sexual comments and inappropriate sexual touching” over a period of six years.
Reed points out that U.S. team management was well aware of Garabeek’s behavior, but team officials acted as if he was normal or “European,” says the 31-year-old daughter of speed skater Beth Hayden and granddaughter of U.S. skating legend speed Erika Hayden. .
“The rookies on the team had been warned about him,” Reed told the AP. She says that for years she refrained from complaining as a newcomer to the team for fear that the greasers would leave the team.
Garabīks, however, argues in an email to the AP that the case against him is “total nonsense from the beginning.” However, he admitted to SafeSport investigators and the AP that his comments were sexual in nature.
“I have never done anything to anyone without their consent, and the fact that I have made some jokes and innuendos has never been sexually pressured,” he told the AP. “We always laughed about it. By this I mean the other members of the team.
2024-01-25 19:53:47
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