The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is looking to make an example of American fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry for staging protests during the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru.
The USOPC has imposed harsh sanctions on both athletes sending a clear message that there is a time and a place to protest! Imboden and Berry have been handed 12 months of probation.
Athletes who are contemplating such protests have been given a strict warning as they will be hit with even harsher sanctions.
USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland expressed that the organization now deems reprimands to be inadequate in clamping down on these public displays of dissent.
Spurred on by his gold medal win in the men’s foil team competition at the Pan-Am Games, Imboden knelt on the awards podium as the American national anthem played, in an apparent protest of the political climate of his home country. U.S. hammer thrower Gwen Berry reportedly raised her fist with the final lines of the “Star-Spangled Banner” during a separate event, also at the Pan-Am Games.
After the ceremony, Race Imboden , also an Olympic medalist, took to Twitter to explain his actions, saying his gesture was his own call for change directed at U.S. leaders. The athlete further related that he chose to sacrifice his moment of glory to shed a light on his country’s many “shortcomings” among them in gun control, racism, and the mistreatment of immigrants.
and a president who spreads hate are at the top of a long list.
— Race Imboden (@Race_Imboden) 10 August 2019
I chose to sacrifie my moment today at the top of the podium to call attention to issues that I believe need to be addressed. I encourage others to please use your platforms for empowerment and change.
U.S. athletes were explicitly told to refrain from demonstrations that are political in nature which was a strict condition for allowing them to compete at the Pan-Am Games. The same conditions have been set by the International Olympic Committee who are looking to curb protest actions on a stage.
After Imboden and Berry’s protests at Lima, a USOPC spokesman said that the committee was disappointed that they did not comply with the rules, though underscoring that they respected the athletes’ rights to free expression.
Hirshland said that Imboden and Berry will be permitted to potentially contend at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, but the USOPC head has warned them both from undertaking any more provocative actions.
It will be interesting to see if Imboden gets shortlisted for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo as prior to the Pan Am games he was a certainty but now due to the protests he could very well be looked over.
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