Coach Rana Reider, left, and Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse in a composite photo.Alessandra Tarantino/Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press
Rana Reider, the coach of Canadian sprinter Andre De Grasse, has had his accreditation withdrawn by the Canadian Olympic Committee and can no longer continue to coach athletes competing in the Paris Games, his lawyer has confirmed.
Reider’s attorney, Ryan Stevens, said in a statement that, effective immediately, the coach would not be allowed to access training and competition venues.
In its own statement Tuesday, the COC said it had revoked Reider’s credentials after receiving information regarding the “appropriateness” of his accreditation.
“Rana Reider was accredited as a personal coach, with access only to the athletics warm-up area and training venues. The decision to provide him with that access was based on the understanding that his probation with the U.S. Center for SafeSport ended in May this year, that he had no other suspensions or sanctions, and otherwise met our eligibility requirements,” the COC statement said. “On Sunday August 4th 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 accreditation be revoked.”
Cathal Kelly: The COC owes Canadians the whole truth in wake of soccer and track scandals
The COC did not respond to a question from The Globe and Mail regarding specifics of the “new information.”
The Guardian newspaper reported Monday night that the move comes amid safeguarding concerns and allegations of sexual and emotional abuse.
The British newspaper reported that, on Friday, governing body World Athletics had questioned Canada’s decision to accredit Reider when he had only recently served a 12‑month probation, after being sanctioned by the U.S. Centre for SafeSport, for a relationship that “presented a power imbalance” with one of his athletes.
Stevens said SafeSport looked into the allegations and dismissed “the majority of the claims” before closing its investigation in 2023. He said Reider “successfully” completed the probation period in May.
“He has no sanctions against him by USA Track & Field or Athletics Canada,” Stevens said in his statement. “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.”
Court documents filed in Broward County, Fla., show that Reider is facing three separate lawsuits against him by female track and field athletes he once coached, with allegations that range from sexual assault to sexual harassment and verbal harassment.
None of the allegations have been tested in court, and Reider has not been charged with a crime.
Other defendants named in the lawsuits include USA Track and Field, which governs the sports nationally, Tumbleweed Track Club, which Reider operates, and athletic apparel companies Puma and Adidas, for whom Reider has consulted.
Puma is also a major De Grasse sponsor.
Stevens said his client has been “unjustly” stripped of his Olympic coaching credentials based on what the lawyer called “years-old claims in a lawsuit by former athletes seeking financial gain” and without due process.
World Athletics said it was not involved in the Olympic accreditation process but confirmed that “conversations” were held at a senior level about Reider’s participation.
“The coach in question has not been accredited to any of our recent World Athletics Series Events, including the World Championships, where accreditation is under our control,” it said in a statement, according to the Canadian Press.
De Grasse, a six-time Olympic medalist, fell short of qualifying for the men’s 100-metre final on Sunday night, a first in his career at the Games. He quickly pivoted to running the opening round of the 200 metres on Monday. The Markham, Ont., sprinter finished second in his heat to book his ticket into Wednesday’s semi-finals. The final is set for Thursday night.
Reider, who is based in Florida, began working with De Grasse in late 2018, after a two-year stretch that saw the Canadian phenom struggle with health issues. The sprinting guru is credited with turning the athlete’s career around.
He is also the coach of Italian sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Lamont Marcell Jacobs.
Filippo Consales, a spokesperson for the Italian National Olympic Committee, declined to comment.