English translation of an archived publication. The roles, rules and references cited reflect its original publication date.
The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) has agreed that athletes may protest in support of social justice efforts during the forthcoming Olympic trials.
They will therefore be able, for example, to take a knee or raise a fist while the national anthem is played, on the podium or at the starting line. They will also be allowed to wear clothing carrying political messages.
This is a genuine revolution by the USOPC, whose previous rules strictly prohibited any form of protest by athletes.
However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Paralympic Committee are maintaining Rule 50, which prohibits the expression of any political, social or religious opinion during the Olympic Games, a rule challenged by many American athletes and various international athletes’ associations.
It should be recalled that in December 2020, the IOC indicated that it would be prepared to soften its position.
Was this simply a way of buying time to quell protests, or was relaxing Rule 50 genuinely under consideration?
Time will tell.
📷USOPC