IOC are right to allow athletes to protest, insists GB’s Asher-Smith
Dina Asher-Smith believes any ban on protests at the Olympics would have caused embarrassment for the International Olympic Committee, and insists athletes have the right to a voice.
Team GB's biggest medal hope on the track has welcomed the IOC's decision to allow competitor protests at the Tokyo Games - which officially start today.
Earlier this month, the
IOC rolled back its Article 50 restrictions - which state 'no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas'.
Athletes will now be allowed to protest before the start of competition, although not on the podium. Gestures will be allowed 'after leaving the call room (or similar area) or during the introduction of the individual athlete or team'.
Asher-Smith stopped short of saying she would take the knee but always felt the IOC would perform a Uturn.
She said: "I see protesting and expressing yourself as a fundamental human right. If you were to penalise someone for standing up against racial inequality how on earth would that go, how on earth are you going to enforce that?
"Would you revoke someone's medal for saying racism is wrong? But I think it’s good they have lifted it. How would you police that, particularly when people feel so strongly about that right now?
"Also if you were to penalise someone or revoke a medal, how would that go optically.
"I did see it as completely unenforceable and I think they had no choice but to lift it otherwise they would have been faced with loads of athlete protests at the Games and it would have been very embarrassing for them.
"Unless they want to say they are against people being against racism, I didn't see how that was going to happen.
"Some of the Olympics’ most iconic moments have been the black power salute by Tommie Smith (in 1968). That is something people remember the Olympics for, something they’re very proud to see at the Olympic Games. So to think they’re suddenly going to get up and say 'absolutely not', I think they’d be shooting themselves in the foot."