This is actually nothing new. The Olympic Charter, in its fiftieth point to be precise, prohibits all kinds of political, religious, and ethnic demonstrations in Olympic venues. Before the Tokyo Olympics, IOC President Thomas Bach firmly declared that he would not allow the Games to become “a marketplace for all kinds of events that divide the world, not part of the world.”
The Poles could be left out, and the Americans defended their player
However, there was nothing firm. In the end, the International Olympic Committee. He yields to the pressure of public opinion and will allow the demonstrations before take off. The organizers made sure that the contestants did not take any suspicious accessories on the platform. Our 4×400 mixed relay, who wanted to capture the podium photos of the competitors and competitors who participated in the qualifiers, proved it: Magorzaty Houb-bird, Ega Baumgart-Whitan and Darius Kollok. According to the regulations, they were also Olympic champions and won gold medals, but only the final four got on the podium: Natalia Kaczmarek, Carol zaloskyAnd Justina Witi Iristic and Kajetan Doszyski.
Polish organizers threatened to disqualify the attempt to bring in the photos, and the contestants eventually abandoned their intention.
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But in Tokyo, there were political gestures on the podium and while the competitors were taking off. The most famous of these was American Rafim Saunders, who hit her arms above her head after taking a silver medal in the signature ghetto “X”.
It symbolized solidarity with all oppressed: – Respect for all blacks. Respect for representatives of the LGBTQ community. Respect those with mental health problems. The whole world looks at the athletes, so in such situations we can speak in the name of the minority – the Olympic medalist later said.
International Olympic Committee. Initiation of investigation into violations of Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter. But then he hung it up and it looked like the American who had defended the US Olympic Committee would face no repercussions for her political gesture.
Chicken disciplines athletes
In Beijing, where the games began on February 4, there would be no such kindness. It is significant that before the Olympics, the athletes decided to discipline not some high-ranking representatives of the International Olympic Committee, but the representative of the organizing committee responsible for international affairs – Yang Shuo: I am sure that any form of expression consistent with the Olympic spirit will be under protection. However, any behavior or speech that goes against the spirit of the Olympic Games, especially Chinese law and regulations, will be subject to certain penalties.
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What will these penalties be? to violate art. 50 may lead to disqualification and withdrawal of the right to participate in the Games. However, Yang Shuo made it clear that players can expect penalties not only from the IOC but also from Chinese law enforcement. And those in China, when it comes to slow words, are very restricted. The story of tennis player Bing Shuai, who suddenly disappears weeks after accusing a high-ranking Communist Party official of sexual assault, is a dire warning to athletes.
Therefore, the human rights organization appeals to athletes in Beijing to focus on competitions and not to show their political views. “Peng Shuai’s fate is a good indication of what could happen,” Yaqiu Wang of Human Rights Watch said at the organization’s forum on Tuesday.
“Chinese law is very vague about what crimes people who exercise their freedom of expression can be prosecuted,” Yaqiu Wang was quoted as saying by the Guardian. Even balanced critical comments can be considered a crime. In such matters, China’s defect is 99 percent.
Human rights activists say: Be silent
“I am upset about putting athletes in this position,” US Olympian Noah Hoffman has said twice. They have no say in choosing where the Games will be held and whether they will participate in them. It’s a wrong substitution telling them that they can decide for themselves not to attend the Olympics, because their entire career depends on it. I was a ski runner and my career was defined by two Olympic competitions. Sponsorship deals, a place in the world rankings, help and support to represent the country – it all depends on it.
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So Hoffman was clear: I hope the athletes will remain silent for their own safety. They can not only be prosecuted by the Chinese authorities, but also punished by the International Olympic Committee. I can express myself upon my return.
The controversy surrounding the Beijing Olympics has been going on for a long time. The United States decided not to send any official delegation to the Chinese capital. The official reason is the persecution of the Uyghur Muslim minority, which the US administration calls a “genocide”. The following contributed to Americans: Great BritainAnd Australia, Canada, BelgiumDenmark, Lithuania and Estonia. Polish President Andrzej Duda announced, on Wednesday, that he will participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Beijing.
