The man, who was not identified by the authorities was reportedly “completely drunk” when apprehended by police.
Paris authorities have arrested an Egyptian Olympic wrestler on sexual assault charges, prosecutors said on Friday.
The 26-year-old athlete was detained at 5 am CET after allegedly groping a woman from behind outside a cafe on the Austerlitz quay in Paris’ 13th arrondissement.
The prosecutor’s office did not name the wrestler but said he was born in Egypt and was in the French capital to compete in the Olympics.
In the meantime, the Egyptian delegation confirmed the athlete’s identity as Mohamed Elsayed, the Tokyo 2021 bronze medalist in Greco-Roman wrestling (under 67 kg).
In the Paris Games, the athlete was eliminated in the round of 16 on Wednesday against Azerbaijani Hasrat Jafarov.
Elsayed was reportedly “completely drunk” when apprehended, according to domestic press.
The Egyptian Wrestling Federation did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
However, the country’s Olympic Committee said in a separate statement Friday that it opened an investigation into the incident.
If proven guilty, Elsayed could be facing a lifetime ban from competing, the statement said.