Bronze medal winner Gwen Barry turned away from the US flag on the podium and held up a T-shirt reading “activist athlete,” after the national anthem played at the US Olympic Trials, and now claims she was “set up.”
Olympic athlete turns back to US flag on podium as national anthem played
Gwen Berry, 31, an Olympic hammer thrower who qualified for her second US Olympic team by taking the bronze medal at the US Olympic trials in Oregon on Saturday is making headlines, not for her athletic performance, but for her reaction to the US flag on the podium.
On the podium, first place winner Brooke Anderson and second place finisher DeAnna Price both had their hands over their hearts, held a bouquet of roses and a small American flag as they faced on the American flag during the playing of the national anthem, Fox reported.
However, Gwendolyn Berry turned away from the American flag. She eventually picked up a black T-shirt that had the words “Activist Athlete” on the front and she draped it over her head.
American Olympic athlete says playing national anthem was “a set up” and “disrespectful”
Gwen Berry blamed Olympic officials for the controversy that has erupted after she turned to face the stands rather than the flag.
“I feel like it was a setup, and they did it on purpose,” Berry said regarding the playing of the national anthem. “I was pissed, to be honest.”
“They had enough opportunities to play the national anthem before we got up there,” Berry continued. “I was thinking about what I should do. Eventually I stayed there and I swayed, I put my shirt over my head.”
Berry faulted the Olympic trial organizers, saying that playing the Star-Spangled Banner was inappropriate.
“It was real disrespectful,” Berry said.
“I didn’t really want to be up there,” Berry added. “Like I said, it was a setup. I was hot, I was ready to take my pictures and get into some shade.”
But a spokeswoman for USA track and field disputed Berry’s assertions.
“The national anthem was scheduled to play at 5:20 p.m. today,” spokeswoman Susan Hazzard said. “We didn’t wait until the athletes were on the podium for the hammer throw awards. The national anthem is played every day according to a previously published schedule.”
Unlike the Olympics, the anthem is not played during medal ceremonies at the Olympic trials,” the New York Post reported. The anthem began to play at 5:25 PM.
Berry: “Anthem doesn’t speak for me,” cites “systemic racism”
“They said they were going to play it before we walked out, then they played it when we were out there,” Berry said. “But I don’t really want to talk about the anthem because that’s not important. The anthem doesn’t speak for me. It never has.”
“My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports,” Berry continued. “I’m here to represent those … who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.”
