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TOKYO: A German cycling official has been suspended and will be sent home from the Tokyo Olympics after using a racist slur during the men’s time trial.
German cycling federation sports director Patrick Moster had been overseeing the cycling squad at the Tokyo Games. He used the slur while urging German rider Nikias Arndt to catch up to riders from the African nations of Algeria and Eritrea during Wednesday’s time trial. It was heard on TV broadcasts and widely condemned in Germany.
Moster later apologized and the German team initially indicated he would stay in Tokyo, but said Thursday he would be sent home.
German Olympic committee president Alfons Hörmann said he considers Moster’s apology to be “sincere” but that he “breached the Olympic values.”
Hörmann added that “fair play, respect and tolerance ... are non-negotiable” for the German team.
The International Olympic Committee, whose president Thomas Bach is German, welcomed the decision to send Moster home and said it had “inquired about the issue” with the German team before the decision was announced.
“We welcome the swift reaction of (the German Olympic committee) not to let him continue in his role and asking him to leave Tokyo to return back to Germany. Comments such as these have no place at the Olympic Games,” the IOC said.
The International Cycling Union later said it had provisionally suspended Moster ahead of a full hearing.
“The UCI Disciplinary Commission urgently examined the matter and considered that Mr. Moster’s remarks were discriminatory and contrary to basic rules of decency,” the UCI said. “The UCI condemns all forms of racist and discriminatory behavior and strives to ensure integrity, diversity and equality in cycling.”
Algerian rider Azzedine Lagab told German news outlet Der Spiegel that he had not received a personal apology from Moster or the German team. Lagab added he had repeatedly faced racist comments during his career.
Arndt condemned the official’s comments.
“I am appalled by the incident at the Olympic time trial today and would like to distance myself clearly from the sporting director’s statements,” the German rider wrote on social media Wednesday. “Such words are not acceptable.”
On Thursday, Arndt posted a picture of the Olympic rings with the message “Cycling against racism!”