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

Raven Saunders’ “X” gesture in the course of the shot-place medals ceremony at the Tokyo Olympics “was respectful of her rivals and did not violate our procedures linked to demonstration,” the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) stated Monday.

The USOPC mentioned it was “in dialogue” with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Environment Athletics, which governs the activity, more than the gesture. IOC spokesman Mark Adams advised reporters Monday the organization was in make contact with with the USOPC over the gesture.

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“As with all delegations, Team United states is ruled by the Olympic Charter and guidelines set forth by the IOC for Tokyo 2020,” the USOPC explained in a statement, by using Reuters.

“Per the USOPC’s delegation conditions, the USOPC done its personal evaluation and established that Raven Saunders’ tranquil expression in guidance of racial and social justice that happened at the conclusion of the ceremony was respectful of her competitors and did not violate our policies related to demonstration.”

The IOC had relaxed some of its rules pertaining to protests and political gestures at the Olympics but nonetheless barred demonstrations through medal ceremonies. The USOPC mentioned it would not sanction athletes who shown on the podium.

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Saunders dared the IOC to “check out and take this medal.”

“Let them check out and take this medal. I’m managing throughout the border even although I just can’t swim,” she wrote.

Throughout the picture op at her medals ceremony, Saunders stepped off the podium, lifted her arms over her head and formed an “X’ with her wrists. 

“It is really the intersection of exactly where all people today who are oppressed satisfy,” she said when requested what her protest meant.

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

“To be me. To not apologize,” she reported in a broad-ranging conversation soon after her next-area complete. “To display younger folks that no make any difference how a lot of bins they try to fit you in, you can be you and you can acknowledge it. Persons experimented with to tell me not to do tattoos and piercings and all that. But glance at me now, and I’m poppin’.”

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

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