Olympics may allow kneeling, other protests during anthems

As members of the sports world continue to mourn the death of George Floyd and partake in protests over police violence, the International Olympic Committee may be softening its stance on athletes demonstrating on Olympic stages.

Earlier this week, The Telegraph's Ben Bloom wrote that athletes who kneel during renditions of national anthems at the Summer Olympics which were postponed from this year to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic could face bans on a "case-by-case" basis.

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), however, IOC President Thomas Bach told reporters on Wednesday the organization is open to discussing ways athletes can use the worldwide platform to make themselves heard.

"The Olympic aims are a very powerful global demonstration against racism and for inclusivity," Bach said.

At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, American track athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos both famously raised a single black-gloved fist in the air while on the podium. They were expelled from the Games, but the pair was inducted into the United States Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame last fall.