Story at a glance
- The International Olympic Committee said Wednesday that it is upholding a rule that prohibits athletes from performing gestures, including taking a knee or raising a fist, on the podium at ceremonies or inside the stadium.
- Rule 50, which bars any form of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda,” was upheld after a consultation with games athletes.
- The committee’s ruling is based on a consultation of more than 3,500 athletes that began in June 2020, which found 70 percent of the athletes opposed protests at Olympic venues.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said Wednesday that it is upholding a rule that prohibits athletes from performing gestures, including taking a knee or raising a fist, on the podium at ceremonies or inside the stadium.
Rule 50, which bars any form of “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda,” was upheld after a consultation with the games’ athletes, Reuters reported. Kirsty Coventry, the IOC’s Athletes’ Commission chief and former Olympic champion from Zimbabwe, led a review of the rule.
The committee’s ruling is based on a consultation of more than 3,500 athletes that began in June 2020, which according to Coventry, found 70 percent of the athletes opposed protests at Olympic venues.
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Coventry said she feels demonstrations would detract from the spirit of competition and serve as a distraction.
“I would not want something to distract from my competition and take away from that. That is how I still feel today,” Coventry said.
Olympic athletes who choose to demonstrate could be punished, Coventry said. Asked if athletes would face potential ramifications for taking a knee or raising a fist, Coventry replied: “Yes, that is correct,” according to Reuters.
“That is also because of the majority of athletes we spoke to. That is what they are requesting for,” Coventry said.
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