Hammer thrower faces calls to be banned from Olympics for podium protest

Debate is raging in America over hammer thrower Gwen Berry’s protest against the US national anthem and flag at the Olympic trials.

A war of words has erupted in America over hammer thrower Gwen Berry’s protest against the US flag and national anthem at the Olympic track and field trials.

Berry, who qualified for her second Olympic Games at the meet, came third in the women’s hammer throw before turning her back to the American flag on the podium while the national anthem was played.

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The 31-year-old also pull a black T-shirt over her head that read, “Activist Athlete”.

The protest has sparked vigorous debate in America about the role of athlete activism, with one politician calling for Berry to be removed from the US Olympic team.

“We don’t need anymore activist athletes,” Republican congressman Dan Crenshaw told Fox & Friends, before adding: “She (Berry) should be removed from the team”.

Crenshaw argued “the entire point of the Olympic team is to represent the United States of America.

He said the “bare minimum requirement” to compete at the Olympics should be “that you believe in the country that you’re representing.”

Gwen Berry (left)put her “Activist Athlete” T-shirt over head during the playing of the National Antem at the US Olympic trials. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Even the White House has weighed into the controversy, with US President Joe Biden’s Press Secretary Jen Psaki defending Berry’s “peaceful protest” at her daily media briefing.

“I haven’t spoken to the president specifically about this, but I know he’s incredibly proud to be an American and has great respect for the anthem and all that it represents, especially for our men and women serving in uniform all around the world,” Psaki said.

“He would also say, of course, that part of that pride in our country means recognising there are moments where we are — as a country, haven’t lived up to our highest ideals. And it means respecting the rights of people granted to them in the Constitution to peacefully protest.”

“I feel like it was a set-up, and they did it on purpose,” Berry said of the timing of the anthem.

“I was pissed, to be honest.”

“They had enough opportunities to play the national anthem before we got up there,” Berry said in Oregon, where the trials are being held.

“I was thinking about what I should do. Eventually I stayed there and I swayed, I put my shirt over my head. It was real disrespectful.”

Berry went on to call the playing of the national anthem a “set up” and that she didn’t plan on staging a protest.

‘”I didn’t really want to be up there,” she said.

“Like I said, it was a set up. I was hot, I was ready to take my pictures and get into some shade.”

And so, while winner DeAnna Price and second-place finisher Brooke Andersen stood still on the podium with their hands over the hearts and stared straight ahead at the American and Oregon flags, Berry fidgeted and paced on the third step. Then turned away. And finally grabbed her T-shirt.

Gwen Berry raised her “Activist Athlete” T-shirt during the National Anthem at the US Olympic trials. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

“They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there,” Berry said.

“But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has.”

“My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports,” Berry added.

“I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.”

A USA Track and Field rep disputed Berry’s characterisation of the anthem playing.

“The national anthem was scheduled to play at 5.20pm today,” said spokeswoman Susan Hazzard. “We didn’t wait until the athletes were on the podium for the hammer throw awards. The national anthem is played every day according to a previously published schedule.”

Unlike at the Olympics, the national anthem is not played during medal ceremonies at the Olympic trials. It has been played once per day at a set time. On Saturday, the music started at 5.25pm.