Adam Peaty and Duncan Scott welcomed Team GB‘s declaration that it would not obstruct athletes who wish to protest at the Tokyo Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee has indicated that it will uphold Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter which would see athletes punished for protesting on the podium or the field of play.
However, British Olympic chiefs said at the swimming team announcement on Tuesday that it would not stand in the way of its athletes.
Adam Peaty: Photo Courtesy: Georgie Kerr, British Swimming
Peaty is looking to become the first British swimmer in history to defend a title when he takes to the water in the 100br.
The world record holder said:
“People should have the right to protest and have the right to do it where they want. I don’t think they should be fined for expressing their opinion.
“I’ve always had a certain belief that the Olympics and sport in general shouldn’t be political.
“But there are so many issues in the world, you don’t want to take away the right of those athletes to protest.”
Scott protested at the 2019 worlds in Gwangju where he refused to share the podium with Sun Yang following the 200 free.
Stand-off: Britain’s Duncan Scott, right, refuses to pose with Sun Yang, flanked by Katsuhiro Matsumoto, left, and Martin Malyutin, after the 200m free medals ceremony – Photo Courtesy: Patrick B. Kraemer
The two-time Olympic relay silver medallist said:
“I’d stand by what Peaty is saying. There has got to be a reason why somebody would want to protest.
“They are not just going to do it for anything. I don’t know what people want to do on the podium, but crack on.”
Mark England, Team GB Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020, told reporters in an online media briefing that the British Olympic Association is already speaking with Team GB athletes to ensure those who wish to protest in Tokyo can.
He said:
“It’s been a very strong rebuttal around athletes protesting on the podium or the field of play.
“But I’m relaxed because our communication with our athletes’ commission is regular and pertinent.
“We had a very open dialogue with all athletes, not just the commission.
“We’ll listen to what they have to say and what they want to do and what their preferred action may well be and it’s really important that we find an avenue and a route for those athletes across the team who wish to protest against whatever issue may be close to their heart or globally across the athlete fraternity.”
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I have, I suspect, a view different to most, but ‘diversity of opinion’ is diversity which is what everyone clamours for so:
1. Has any athlete protest ever achieved its aims? Ever? In the news then gone.
2. I would like Peaty’s competitors to protest at the injustice of not everyone being given a backyard pool to train in during the lockdown, as he was.