Adam Peaty speaks out against IOC’s controversial Rule 50 and says athletes must not be fined for protests such as taking a knee at the Tokyo Olympics
- The IOC has decided to uphold Rule 50 which allows punishments for protests
- British swimmer Adam Peaty says athletes should have the right to protest
- The USA have said they will not punish any athletes who break Rule 50
Adam Peaty says no athletes ‘should be fined for expressing their opinion’ after it was announced that protests, including taking a knee, will be banned at the Tokyo Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee decided last week to uphold their controversial Rule 50, which means they could punish anyone who stages a demonstration on the podium or field of play.
USA have already said they will not take action against their own stars if they flout the rules, with Team GB chief Mark England revealing on Tuesday that he will speak to his athletes and agree a collective stance next month.
Britain’s Adam Peaty has spoken out against the IOC’s Rule 50 after it was announced that athletes can be punished if they protest during the Tokyo Olympic Games this year
Peaty said that he does not believe in taking away the right to protest during the Olympics
British Olympic swimming champion Peaty 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.’
Peaty’s British team-mate Duncan Scott famously refused to share a podium or shake hands with Chinese drug cheat Sun Yang after winning a medal at the 2019 World Championships.
Such a stance could now be punished in Tokyo – and Scott 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.’
Team GB chef de mission England admitted: ‘You can expect us to have a comprehensive and open dialogue with our athletes probably in the second week of May.
‘We will listen to what the athletes have to say about it, what they want to do and what their preferred action may well be.
‘It is really important that we find an avenue and a route for those athletes across the team who wish to protest against whatever issue that may be close to their heart or globally across the athlete fraternity.’
Other sports, such as cricket, have seen protests like taking the knee carried out without any players or athletes being punished for expressing their view
England was speaking after Team GB unveiled their 28-strong swimming squad for Tokyo. He added: ‘We are selecting the strongest swim team that has ever represented Team GB at an Olympic Games.
‘There is a very strong opportunity for a number of medallists to return from Tokyo. I think we will see some special moments in the pool in Tokyo.
‘I’ve got more confidence by the day that the Games will be happening and we look forward to supporting whatever restrictions are put in place.’