Malcolm Gladwell's latest podcast “Legacy of Speed” focuses on the story behind the famous photo of the Olympic protest by Tommie Smith and John Carlos.
“It’s this moment of activism and protest that absolutely stunned the world,” Gladwell said. “And we wanted to understand what happened, how did that come to pass … and what were the reverberations of that act?”Winter’s technique helped the San Jose State sprinters become among the best in the world.
Years later, Brundage and the IOC wanted to invite white supremacist regimes from South Africa and Rhodesia to the Games. They also pushed amateurism, stressing athletes should perform out of pure love for sport and for no financial compensation.The West Marine U.S. Open Sailing Series is in Long Beach during the weekend, training competitors on the same waters that will host the 2028 Olympics.
“Amateurism meant back then that the athlete had to turn a blind eye to everything that was going on in society,” Gladwell said. “To this group of guys, Carlos and Smith and Harry Edwards, that just made no sense. … You’re supposed to go to the Olympic Games, perform in front of the world, and all of a sudden you’re not supposed to talk about what it means to be a Black person in America?”
Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter stated that in “any Olympic sites, venues or other areas,” the committee will not allow “demonstration or political, religious, or racial propaganda.” The rule has since been modified to grant athletes the opportunity to speak out during news conferences, mixed zones, interviews or ahead of competition. Last year, dozens of athletes and organizations signed an open letter calling to ban Rule 50.