Raven Saunders’ gesture gets support from USOPC; athlete challenges IOC to take medal

Raven Saunders’ “X” gesture for the duration of the shot-set medals ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics “was respectful of her competitors and did not violate our principles related to demonstration,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) claimed Monday.

The USOPC explained it was “in discussion” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Environment Athletics, which governs the sport, over the gesture. IOC spokesman Mark Adams explained to reporters Monday the business was in get in touch with with the USOPC about the gesture.

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“As with all delegations, Staff United states is governed by the Olympic Charter and guidelines set forth by the IOC for Tokyo 2020,” the USOPC claimed in a assertion, by way of Reuters.

“For each the USOPC’s delegation phrases, the USOPC performed its own critique and determined that Raven Saunders’ peaceful expression in assistance of racial and social justice that took place at the summary of the ceremony was respectful of her rivals and did not violate our principles linked to demonstration.”

The IOC had relaxed some of its procedures concerning protests and political gestures at the Olympics but nonetheless barred demonstrations throughout medal ceremonies. The USOPC stated it would not sanction athletes who shown on the podium.

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Saunders dared the IOC to “try and consider this medal.”

“Enable them consider and acquire this medal. I’m running throughout the border even however I simply cannot swim,” she wrote.

Through the photograph op at her medals ceremony, Saunders stepped off the podium, lifted her arms over her head and fashioned an “X’ with her wrists. 

“It’s the intersection of where by all persons who are oppressed meet up with,” she stated when asked what her protest intended.

Saunders, who is brazenly homosexual, has generally wondered if the Olympics could reside up to the mission of diversity. 

“To be me. To not apologize,” she mentioned in a broad-ranging discussion immediately after her next-area end. “To clearly show younger people that no make any difference how a lot of containers they try out to in shape you in, you can be you and you can settle for it. People today tried using to notify me not to do tattoos and piercings and all that. But glimpse at me now, and I’m poppin’.”

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Saunders gained silver with a mark of 19.79. She finished just behind China’s Gong Lijao (20.58) and just ahead of New Zealand’s Valerie Adams (19.62).

Fox News’ Emma Colton and the Involved Push contributed to this report.