A major decision was just announced regarding the Tokyo Games this summer. It turns out that athletes will not be allowed to stage any protests during this year’s Olympics.
This decision was made by Olympic officials this Wednesday after an 11-month review process.
Even though the Olympics have prohibited any form of demonstration for decades, some athletes thought the Summer Games would provide a huge platform for them to raise awareness for certain causes. Obviously that won’t the be the case due to this decision.
It’s unclear what type of discipline athletes will face if they stage any type of protest during the Olympics. Additional details are expected to come out at a later date.
Olympic officials uphold rule that bars athlete protests, ignoring U.S. calls for change https://t.co/gQF8SXxl5q
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) April 21, 2021
Kirsty Coventry, the chair of the International Olympic Committee, spoke about this topic in a recent conference call with reporters.
“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.
Coventry added that a recent survey of Olympic athletes showed they were mostly against any demonstrations on the field of play or during the official ceremonies. In fact, 70 percent of the athletes in that survey said it’s not appropriate.
This year’s Olympics will begin on July 24 and run through August 8.
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