Sexual harassment on women's US Biathlon team leads to SafeSport investigation -- and sanctions

Source: Associated Press

Sexual harassment on women’s US Biathlon team leads to SafeSport investigation -- and sanctions

BY MARTHA BELLISLE
Updated 4:00 AM EST, January 25, 2024

U.S. Biathlon national champion Joanne Reid was sexually harassed and abused for years by a ski-wax technician while racing on the elite World Cup circuit, a watchdog group that oversees sex-abuse allegations in Olympic sports found. When the two-time Olympian complained, she says she was told his behavior was just part of the male European culture.

Teammate Deedra Irwin says she repeatedly had to step in to protect Reid. Outraged by what she called “a culture of harassment and misogyny,” Irwin, a biathlete with the Army National Guard, notified her military superiors, who immediately demanded action.

Only then, in April 2021, did U.S. Biathlon officials alert the U.S. Center for SafeSport.

Its 18-month investigation found that Petr “Gara” Garabik had engaged in repeated sexual harassment and unwanted sexual contact with Reid. The Czech citizen was suspended for six months and put on probation until December 2024.

Wax technicians play a critical role in biathlon, ...

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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/biathlon-sexual-harassment-abuse-safesport-767d17bdd3838962f6dafa6257f15542