Olympic chief Thomas Bach on Wednesday refused to be drawn on athletes taking a knee in protest against racism, insisting the body represe...
Olympic chief Thomas Bach on Wednesday refused to be drawn on athletes taking a knee in protest against racism, insisting the body representing them must explore ways they can express themselves “in a dignified way”.
Many sportspeople across the globe have made a kneeling protest to pay homage to George Floyd, a black American killed by a white US policeman in May, in an act described as anti-racist solidarity.
International Olympic Committee rules bar any “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda” at the Olympic Games, but the kneeling protest is sure to be a hot issue at the Tokyo Olympics, postponed by 12 months to 2021.
Bach, speaking after a videoconference meeting of the IOC’s executive board, argued that non-discrimination was one of the founding pillars of the Olympic movement.
The German said it was now the turn of the Olympic Athletes’ Commission to draw up a suitable way for athletes to act.
“We have fully supported the initiative of the Olympic Athletes’ Commission to have dialogue with their counterparts, athletes from around the world, to explore different ways on how Olympic athletes can express their support for the principles enshrined in the Olympic charter in a dignified way,” Bach said.
“We also agree at the same time with the Athletes’ Commission that we must always...
