With the emerging new talent is also new ideologies and beliefs. Taking the knee has been a sign of respect that that athletes have been doing for the racial discrimination that people of colour has been facing since the times of slavery.
Adam Gemili stated with confidence that “I would be happy to take a knee if I was successful at the Olympics and I had that opportunity,” Gemili, who finished fourth in the 200m at the 2016 Rio Games, told British media on Thursday. I don’t think you can ban an athlete for protesting and if they do all hell would break loose and it could go south and sour very quickly. They will be very naive to even try to do that.”
There is of course the risk of all hell breaking loose as this is seen as a sign of protest. There is a chance that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) could punish athletes for taking the knee on and international level sports podium.
The IOC stated that they will be retaining the rule that which is that is it a rule “forbidding any kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda in venues and other Olympic areas for the July 23-Aug. 8 Games.” This can only mean that athletes will take a risk of being punished if they were to make gestures such as taking the knee or raising a fist.
Gemili stated that he finds it odd that the OIC is making this rule as they continue to use the picture of Tommie Smith who was a US sprinter raising a black gloved hand on the medal podium when he had won a medal. Gemili went on to quote that “The IOC are so quick to use Tommie Smith, the picture of him, fist raised, but then they are saying, ‘actually, no one is allowed to do that,'”
