Olympic Games in a confined space to break new ground in protest SWX now

For generations, the IOC has known exactly where to look for key support for its ban on protests at the Olympics.

In 1968, the US Olympic Committee sent its own athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, home when they raised their fists on the medal stand at the Mexico City Games.

In 2019, it was the same organization that put their own athlete, Gwen Berry, on parole for doing the same thing after winning the Pan-Am Games.

This week, the American Association made the IOC aware that it is no longer the IOC’s partner when it comes to enforcing the controversial Rule 50. USOPC is now listening to the calls of many of its athletes and will no longer punish them for kneeling or raising fists or any other acceptable demonstration at the Olympics.

“When you sit in my seat, you have to make decisions that you think are on the right side of the story,” said CEO Sarah Hirshland. “And I think we’re on the right side of the story.”

But there are details that need ironing out, and they show how much change is really possible between now and July when the Tokyo Olympics are due to take place.

At the top of the list, what can athletes demonstrate and what will an acceptable demonstration look like?

“It’s going to be a difficult situation,” said Harry Edwards, the activist who helped brainstorm the gestures of Smith and Carlos 52 years ago. “Because you could very easily try to outdo someone else and it ultimately has nothing to do with the spirit of the problem.”

This confusion explains the calculated response of the IOC to the USOPC in the form of a brief dismissal of the head of the athletes’ commission, swimmer Kirsty Coventry from Zimbabwe.

Coventry and the IOC recognize that the protest rule cannot remain unchanged for the foreseeable future and are currently asking athletes around the world for their thoughts on possible changes.

She said the majority of respondents believe in the right to freedom of expression, which is “respected” at the Olympics (but only in certain situations) and “express support for the maintenance of the ceremonies, the podium and the playing field”. While the Coventry Committee is still accepting feedback and won’t make final decisions until early next year, it expects a far less radical adjustment to rule 50 than the US contingent would like.

American athletes have recovered from a summer of police violence against black people in the United States.

All major sports leagues agreed to change the guidelines to give their players a bigger platform for discussion about race and social injustice.

But the US sports leagues and the Olympics are different beings. The Olympic Games are a giant that counts America as one of 206 member countries.

Some of the largest members are among the IOC’s key partners – for example, China hosted the 2008 Olympics and will do so again in 2022 – and it does not share the same concerns or values ​​about free speech or racial injustice as the US and many of its closest allies .

“Many have also recognized the practical issue of how to choose between opinions on hundreds of topics from different angles around the world,” Coventry said of its respondents. “We can see that it would be very difficult to make such a judgment without dividing the athlete community across all 206 NOCs.”

Moushaumi Robinson, who led the U.S. athlete group that pushed for the changes, said she understood the complexities. Your group continues to discuss them to find solutions.

“A lot of us just want to be able to say, ‘I may not agree with you, but I respect that you have a voice,'” she said. “And we want to be able to express it without someone punishing you for it.”

All of this leads Edwards to believe that the move by USOPC and its athletes on Thursday is a sign of progress – not necessarily a big leap, but another step.

“This is an ongoing battle and it will continue to be a battle,” he said. “And what shows today is that this generation of athletes is more than ready to make their contribution.”