Egyptian athlete Mohamed Ibrahim El-Sayed, a bronze medal-winning wrestler at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is under investigation by the sport’s governing body following his arrest in Paris on sexual assault charges.
The 26-year-old athlete was detained early Friday after allegedly groping a woman from behind outside a Paris cafe, according to a statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office, USA Today said.
The incident occurred just hours after El-Sayed had finished his Paris Olympic competition, where he suffered a 9-0 loss to Azerbaijan’s Hasrat Jafarov in a Greco-Roman wrestling match at 67 kilograms category.
El-Sayed, a five-time African champion and two-time U-23 world champion, was scheduled to travel home when the alleged incident took place.
The Egyptian Olympic Committee has confirmed that El-Sayed will face disciplinary measures, including a potential ban from domestic and international competitions, for what they described as “irresponsible behavior.”
The committee emphasized that the investigation by the sport’s governing body will determine the appropriate course of action.
This incident has cast a shadow over El-Sayed’s athletic achievements and raised serious concerns about conduct and accountability among elite athletes.
The wrestling community and fans worldwide are awaiting further developments as the investigation unfolds.