Olympics ‘inclusion’ message unveiled

The International Olympic Committee has expanded its Olympic oath and branding to promote non-discrimination.

The New National Stadium, the main stadium for the Tokyo Olympics. Picture: Getty Images.

Olympic athletes will continue to be banned from making protests on the winner’s podium and during competitions at the Tokyo Olympics this July, but the International Olympic Committee has expanded its Olympic oath and branding to promote non-discrimination.

New Olympic athlete messaging to be unveiled at the Tokyo Games will be “Peace, Respect, Solidarity, Inclusion and Equality’’.

IOC president Thomas Bach insisted on Thursday that the rescheduled Tokyo Olympic Games would be “a pretty safe place’’ despite varying vaccination rates around the world.

He said scientific advice, and the experience of various sports is that the risk is minimised as much as possible in the Olympic Village.

Mr Bach said the Games were the best prepared, and that with the advice of the scientists, the engagement of the Japanese government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and the support of US President Joe Biden “everybody should slowly give more room to confidence and hope”.

There is no requirement for athletes to be vaccinated in order to compete in the Olympics.

Kirsty Coventry, the chair of the IOC athletes commission and a two-time Olympic swimming champion, said while the Olympic field of play and podiums will be will be free of any kind of protests or demonstrations, but stressed,“ we want to amplify the voices of athletes, and find more ways to support the values of the Olympic Games and what sport stands for.’’

She said studies have shown that 70 per cent of athletes want to protect the field of play, official ceremonies and podium and the athletes commission was concerned about the risk of politicisation. She said there was a risk athletes may be put under external pressured potentially may be forced to take a public position on a particular domestic or international issue, regardless of their beliefs.

“In such cases, the political neutrality of the Olympic Games is a way to protect athletes from political interference or exploitation,’’ she said.

“We are now asking the IOC’s legal affairs commission to come up with a proportionate range of sanctions, so everyone knows what they can and can’t do.”

More than half a century ago the American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith, raised black gloved fists on the 200m medal podium in a Black Power salute while Australia’s second place getter Peter Norman, wore a badge supporting the Olympic Project for Human Rights. Norman had suggested to Carlos and Smith that they share the pair of black gloves and wear one each.

Olympic officials were keen to maintain political neutrality yet acknowledge freedom of expression.

The revised Olympic oath, approved by the IOC executive board on Thursday includes new words about inclusion and non-discrimination.

The oath now says: “We promise to take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play, inclusion and equality. Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without doping, without cheating, without any form of discrimination. We do this for the honour of our teams, in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport.”