Rana Reider, the personal coach for track stars Andre De Grasse and Lamont Marcell Jacobs, both of whom are competing at Paris 2024, had his Olympic credentials revoked by the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) on Monday. The COC stated that the decision was made based on 'new information about the appropriateness of Mr. Reider remaining accredited by Team Canada.'
Reider's attorney, Ryan Stevens, defended his client, claiming that the coach was 'unjustly stripped of his Olympic coaching credential' due to 'years-old claims in a lawsuit by former athletes seeking financial gain.'
Both De Grasse and Jacobs have Reider listed as their personal coach on their official Olympics bio pages. Reider, an American coach, had previously been under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct by the US Center for SafeSport.
The COC mentioned that Reider was initially accredited based on the understanding that his probation with the US Center for Safe Sport had ended in May this year, and that he had no other suspensions or sanctions, meeting their eligibility requirements.
Stevens reiterated that there were no sanctions against Reider by the US Center for SafeSport, USA Track & Field, or Athletics Canada. He highlighted that the Center had closed its investigation in 2023 and dismissed the majority of the claims against Reider.
Reider is currently facing three lawsuits in Broward County, Florida, accusing him of 'sexual and emotional abuses.'
De Grasse, a three-time Olympian for Canada, is scheduled to compete in a 200m semifinal on Wednesday, with the final set for Thursday. He previously won gold in the 200m event at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo but failed to qualify for the 100m final in Paris.
Jacobs, representing Italy, finished fifth in the men's 100m event in Paris and is gearing up for the men's 4x100m relay. Team Italy declined to comment on the Reider situation.
