Amidst sexual misconduct allegations, Carter Starocci receives massive Team USA Wrestling blow

NCAA champion Carter Starocci has received a major blow from USA Wrestling amid sexual misconduct allegations. The apex wrestling body in the USA has put the wrestler on the interim suspension list.

According to USA Wrestling's recent interim suspension list, Starocci was one of 17 wrestlers suspended. This means that the wrestler will not be able to participate in USA wrestling competitions until further notice.

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Interestingly, the cause of suspension has not yet been listed, unlike four other wrestlers whose reason for suspension was explicitly mentioned in the list. This leads to the speculation that Starocci has been suspended for different reasons.

List of wrestlers suspended by USA Wrestling, including Carter Starocci [Image Source: USA Wrestling]

Starocci was previously replaced by Yianni Diakomihalis at a wrestling camp in Idaho last month. Though the exact reason was not explained, some thought it was due to the sexual misconduct allegations imposed against the wrestler from the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Carter Starocci was last seen in action at the World Team Trials, where he lost out to Olympic medalist Kyle Dake in the finals.

All about the sexual misconduct allegations against Carter Starocci

Why Carter Starocci's career is at risk [Image Source: Getty]

Carter Starocci was accused of sexual misconduct by an anonymous woman at the Penn State camp. According to a report by The Daily Collegian, the five-time NCAA Champion was accused of multiple allegations, including sexually assaulting a wrestler.

According to the lady's testimony shared by The Daily Collegian, Starocci had invited her to his house and the LWC sauna alone on several occasions.

"I am doing this in an attempt to stop my assailant from attacking more young girls. He had groomed me to feel comfortable with him. The whole experience feels extremely manipulating. I didn’t (do) all the things I should’ve done to press charges against him," she said.

According to the reports, Starocci has been accused of raping her twice during her visit to the latter's house. Interestingly, multiple theories about Starocci's involvement in sexual misconduct have also floated in the past over the social media app 'YikYak'.

This wasn't the first time Carter Starocci was accused of serious charges. According to a report by The Daily Collegian, Starocci's teammate from the Nittany Lions, Beau Bartlett, had accused him of stealing a watch from the latter's locker room. Bartlett's wife, Sydney Erin, also alleged that Starocci was involved in a police investigation.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar