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American shot putter, Raven Saunders, could face disciplinary action for her podium protest on Day 4, contravening Rule 50.
Saunders raised her arms to display an “X” after receiving the silver medal at the Olympic Stadium.
She told Associated Press that she protested to represent “the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet”.
Shot put Silver medalist #RavenSaunders of #TeamUnitedStates makes an 'X' to show support and signify the intersection of where all oppressed people meet, during the #tokyo2020 #OlympicGames 📸: @RyanPierse #athletics pic.twitter.com/yVsLOS7tQL
— Getty Images Sport (@GettySport) August 1, 2021
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) although less strict in Tokyo said that the protests are still banned. The IOC has warned athletes who protest or demonstrate on the podium could be sanctioned.
The IOC said incidents will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, with possible sanctions to be determined by the IOC’s Legal Affairs Commission. Rule 50 reads: “No kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas.”
The 25-year-old earned the silver medal with a put of 19.79m. Her best is 19.96m from June this year. She finished fifth in Rio.
