Paralympic athlete accuses former teammate of sexual abuse, says US Committee knowingly put him in danger by…

The US Olympic and Paralympic Committee has been accused of knowingly putting a paralympic athlete in danger. Paralympic swimmer Parker Egbert filed a lawsuit in 2022 accusing his teammate of repeated physical and sexual abuse — including at the Tokyo Games. A a new court filing from his lawyers suggests that the USOPC had assigned him to room with the accused despite receiving several earlier complaints about their conduct.

“Parker is thrilled to see his teammates fulfill their dreams, but he also feels a devastating loss because he will never return to competitive swimming after the horrific abuse he endured. We were shocked to find out during discovery in this lawsuit the number, and severity, of complaints that other athletes made,” his mother told The New York Times.

The list of complaints reportedly includes a sexual misconduct allegation levelled by another Paralympic swimmer a year before the Tokyo Games. The 21-year-old is now seeking punitive damages against the USOPC.

According to his Team USA athlete bio, Egbert had participated in two para swimming events during the 2020 Games. He was diagnosed with autism as an infant and falls under the S14 caterogrisation.

“S14 swimmers have an intellectual impairment, which typically leads to the athletes having difficulties with regards to pattern recognition, sequencing, and memory, or having a slower reaction time, which impact on sport performance in general. Moreover, S14 swimmers show a higher number of strokes relative to their speed than able-bodied elite swimmers,” the Paralympic Games website explains.

The revelations came even as another Paralympics commenced in Paris this week. The event opened in Paris on Wednesday with 4,400 athletes from 168 delegations paraded down the Champs Elysees and into the Place de la Concorde at sunset. Paris 2024 has sold 2.1 million of 2.5 million tickets available. With an additional 300,000 reserve tickets to be released, the Games could surpass the record of the 2.7 million tickets sold at London 2012.

(With inputs from agencies)