PARIS: American Rana Reider, coach of former Olympic champions Andre De Grasse of Canada and Italy's Lamont Marcell Jacobs, has been stripped of his Paris Games accreditation by Canada's Olympic Committee (COC) amid allegations of sexual and emotional abuse.
The COC said on Tuesday "new information" had come to light about the appropriateness of accrediting Reider, who had been investigated for sexual misconduct by the U.S. Center for Safe Sport. He was put on a one-year probation which ended in May.
His lawyer said in May last year that Reider had acknowledged a "consensual romantic relationship with an adult athlete, which presented a power imbalance" but was not found to be in violation of any other sexual misconduct claims for which he was under investigation.
He denied wrongdoing when the allegations came to light.
"The decision to (accredit Reider) was based on the understanding his probation... ended in May this year, that he had no other suspensions or sanctions and otherwise met our eligibility requirements," COC said in a statement.
"On Sunday, August 4 we learned of new information about the appropriateness of Mr Reider remaining accredited by Team Canada at the Paris 2024 Games. In discussion with Athletics Canada, it was agreed that Mr Reider's accreditations be revoked."
The allegations against Reider have not been proved in court and he has not been charged with a crime.
"It's a bad day for the Olympics when a governing body's fear of bad publicity is prioritised over the athletes," his lawyer Ryan Stevens said in a statement. "Reider has no pending sanctions against him by any governing body.
"The ones who are being hurt in all of this are the athletes suddenly forced to compete without their chosen coach, including one of Canada's finest sprinters," Stevens said.
Reider's accreditation pass gave him access to training and competition venues.
De Grasse worked with Reider from 2018 to 2022, winning gold in the 200 metres and bronze in the 100 at the Tokyo Olympics.
De Grasse left the American coach briefly to work with Irish coach John Coghlan but returned to work with Reider nine months ago in Jacksonville, Florida.
Jacobs, who captured gold in the men's 100 at the Tokyo Olympics, moved to Florida in September to work with Reider.-- Reuters