Gwen Berry, a U.S. hammer-thrower who will compete at the Tokyo Olympics, took part in an event that honchos said they wouldn't tolerate on game day...national anthem protests.Berry, who is Black, did enough Saturday at U.S. Olympic Track & Field Team Trials, Eugene, OR, to qualify for the second Olympics as a professional athlete. But when it was time to accept her bronze medal on stage -- "The Star-Spangled Banner” began to play.She was not having it... There were several photos that captured the awkward moment in which GB refused the hand of her heart and turned away from the flag, unlike her competitors who did the opposite.Berry pulled out a T-shirt that said "Activist Athlete" while standing up. She held it high and then put it over her head, continuing to snub/mock the flag/anthem. Berry didn't stop there.She was asked about her demonstration afterward. She was clearly "pissed" about the whole thing. She accused organizers of staging it all and playing the song right when she knew Gwen would stand up. It almost felt like daring her.She said, "They had enough chances to play the national song before we got up there." I was contemplating what I should do. I eventually stayed there, and I was swayed. It was really disrespectful." Berry claimed that she was told the national anthem would play before the podium ceremony. She added, "I don’t want to talk about it because it’s not important." It doesn't speak for me. It has never spoken for me."A representative for USA Track and Field Team refuted her assertion, stating that the anthem was scheduled to be played daily at a specific time (5:20 PM) and that there was no sabotage.It will be fascinating to see Berry's handling of anthems at the games in a few more weeks. According to the International Olympic Committee, athletes competing in athletic events are prohibited from performing scenes such as these, whether they be political, social, or other.
