Rule barring protests by athletes upheld
Officials deny U.S. request to lift ban, saying most competitors support it
Raising a fist or taking a knee at the Tokyo Games this summer will come with consequences.
After an 11-month review process, Olympic officials decided Wednesday to uphold a controversial rule that bars athletes from staging protests from the medals podium or the field of play.
Athletes long have been prohibited from any form of demonstration, including political or human rights protests, at Summer or Winter Games, but the International Olympic Committee’s Rule 50 has come under fire in recent years as some athletes have sought to use their platform to bring attention to broader issues.
With American athletes protesting during the national anthem and increasingly taking up social causes in the past year, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has found itself at the forefront of a battle with the IOC over the restrictions athletes face.
Last year, U.S. Olympic officials said they wouldn’t punish American athletes who respectfully protest human rights issues at the Olympics and urged the IOC to amend Rule 50.
In announcing the decision to uphold the basic tenets of the rule, Kirsty Coventry, chairwoman of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, said a broader survey of Olympic athletes around the world found that most opposed allowing protests or demonstrations.
According to the IOC’s Athlete Expression report, 70 percent of the athletes surveyed said it’s not appropriate “to demonstrate or express their views” on the field of play or at the official ceremonies. A slightly smaller number — 67 percent — said it wouldn’t be appropriate on a medals podium.
“So our recommendation is to be able to preserve the podium, field of play and official ceremonies from any kind of protests, demonstrations or acts perceived as such,” Coventry said on a conference call with reporters.
It’s not clear what disciplinary actions athletes who protest might face. Rather than lay out possible sanctions, the commission’s recommendations call on the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission to clarify
the range of sanctions at a later date.
“I’m a not a lawyer, so that is a little bit out of my realm,” Coventry said.
Asked what would happen in the event of a protest like the one U.S. sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith staged from the podium
at the 1968 Games, Coventry said it’s “speculation, so there’s no real need for me to get into that.”
Typically, the IOC relies on its National Olympic Committees to discipline athletes who violate the rule. But the USOPC said last December it won’t punish American athletes who respectfully protest human rights issues at a Summer or Winter Games.
Coventry said she was aware that U.S. athletes could protest at domestic competitions and Olympic qualifying events but didn’t appear to know that the USOPC won’t sanction athletes who protest in Tokyo. A message seeking further comment from Coventry and the IOC wasn’t immediately returned Wednesday.
The IOC and its president, Thomas Bach, long have supported Rule 50 and have been wary of athletes using the Olympics platform as a protest tool and detracting from the pageantry and competition.
Coventry, a former Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, said she personally supports the commission’s recommendations and decision to uphold the rule.
“The podium and field of play and ceremonies were very specific and hold very specific memories in my heart,” she said. “So if I think about when I was competing, I wouldn’t want something to distract and take away from that.
“That’s how I still feel today.”
The commission’s survey encompassed more than 3,500 athletes — more than half of whom were Olympians — representing 185 National
Olympic Committees. According to the survey, athletes feel the most appropriate way to express views include in the media (42 percent), at news conferences (38 percent) or during mixed zone interviews (36 percent).
The results showed that views vary by country.
For example, among Chinese athletes, 91 percent said it’s not appropriate for athletes to express their views from the medal podium, followed by Russia (84 percent), South Africa (78 percent), France (77 percent), and Australia (75 percent).
At the other end of the spectrum, 53 percent of American athletes said the podium is an inappropriate protest venue, which was still higher than South Korea and Canada (both 49 percent).
The IOC’s executive board approved six recommendations from its Athletes Commission related to Rule 50, including adapting the Olympics’ official oath to highlight inclusion and nondiscrimination; incorporating messaging in the Olympic Village branding that celebrates solidarity, inclusion and equality and producing athlete apparel with similar themes; restructuring Rule 50; and providing better clarity for athletes.