IOC’s ban on protests is ‘do as I say, not as I do’

The Olympics are not some fairyland where problems don’t exist

The International Olympic Committee gets a gold medal in hypocrisy.

The IOC has told athletes who will compete at this summer’s Tokyo Games that “any form of political, religious or ethnic demonstrations” on the medals podium, specifically kneeling or raising a fist, will be forbidden. Ditto for the opening and closing ceremonies and venues.

“It is a fundamental principle that sport is neutral and must be separate from political, religious or any other type of interference,” the IOC decreed Thursday. “Specifically, the focus for the field of play and related ceremonies must be on celebrating athletes’ performance, and showcasing sport and its values.”

If you’re imagining this being said with a condescending tone of “Do as I say, not as I do,” you are not alone.

IOC leaders, president Thomas Bach in particular, have crossed the supposed line separating the games from politics so often it’s no longer visible.

There is the IOC’s observer status with the UN, which it has had the past decade. Since 2017, the IOC and UN have had a “direct partnership” that gives the UN “direct access to the expertise and know-how of the IOC and its 206 National Olympic Committees” and their world sports federations.

So much so that the UN decided it no longer needed its own group that used sports to promote peace initiatives.

There is the frequent hobnobbing with leaders of various countries, by Bach and his predecessors. There is the ongoing kowtowing to Russia, which so far has escaped meaningful punishment for the state-sponsored doping scheme that made the Sochi Olympics a sham.

And then there is Bach’s unabashed use of the Olympics to try and smooth tensions on the Korean Peninsula. When he announced that South and North Korea would field a unified team for the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018, he said the Games were “hopefully opening the door to a brighter future on the Korean Peninsula.”

A noble cause, to be sure. But as intertwined in politics as you can possibly be.

The truth is, it’s not the mixing of politics and sports that Bach and the IOC don’t like. It’s the mixing of politics they don’t like with sports.

It’s just fine for Bach to lobby for the issues he finds important. But God forbid athletes should speak out about racism, homophobia, inequality or murderous regimes. You know, issues that have a direct effect on their lives.

The IOC’s dictate is likely in response to protests during last summer’s Pan American Games by two U.S. athletes: hammer thrower Gwen Berry and fencer Race Imboden. Berry raised her fist during The Star-Spangled Banner after winning gold, one day after Imboden had taken a knee on the top spot of the podium.

No doubt the IOC fears there is more to come, what with the American presidential election in November and the very strong opinions U.S. President Donald Trump has already generated among athletes.

The IOC can’t proudly celebrate the individual spirit of athletes — higher, faster, stronger — while demanding a large part of it be buried or ignored.

Bach and his Olympic cohorts have their ways of making the world a better place. They should recognize, and respect, that the athletes do, too.