Athletes are speaking up, but are the Olympics listening?
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More athletes are speaking out about rules and norms governing what they can do, say, earn and wear in and out of the Olympic arena. But there is still a way to go before they have an equal say in decisions affecting them. Few television viewers likely noticed that the German field hockey captain Nike Lorenz wore a rainbow-coloured band on her socks at the Tokyo Olympics. But the symbol of support for LGBTQ communities was a big deal in the Olympic arena. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter bans any kind of demonstration and “political propaganda” on clothing or in sports arenas during the Games. After criticism from some athletes and groups like the World Players Association that this violated athletes’ freedom of expression, the Lausanne-based International Olympic Committee (IOC) relaxed the Rule, allowing athletes to demonstrate at specific times and in certain areas. Lorenz also received the green light to wear the rainbow socks. The adjustment of the rule amid the outcry from...