MELBOURNE (Reuters) – Most Australian athletes believe protests have no place in Olympic competition or on the podium, a survey conducted by the country’s Olympic athletes’ commission said on Friday.
More than 80% of 496 respondents said protesting on the field of play would “detract from the performance or experience of athletes,” the survey by the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Athletes’ Commission said.
Nearly 41% said the Olympics were “not a place for athletes to publicly expresss their views.”
The survey was prompted by an IOC Athletes’ Commission initiative to explore the different ways athletes can express their support for the principles enshrined in the Olympic Charter.
“Non-discrimination is one of the pillars of the Olympic movement. We were interested in the balance between our athletes’ views on freedom of expression and their obligations to respect the rights of others,” AOC Athletes’ Commission chairman Steve Hooker said in a statement.
Some athletes have called for changes to rules that restrict protest at the Olympics following George Floyd’s death in U.S. police custody in May, which sparked global Black Lives Matter demonstrations.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Sam Holmes)
