Tokyo 2020 Paralympics: Political statements banned for athletes
The HinduTamiru Demisse did it not once, but twice. After the visually impaired runner from Ethiopia crossed the finish line in the 1,500 meters at the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, he crossed his arms – just like U.S. shot-putter Raven Saunders did at this summer's Tokyo Olympics – in a sign of political protest. "We made it very, very clear to him that political statements are not allowed at the Paralympics," said then-International Paralympic Committee President Philip Craven. At the Tokyo Paralympics, which like the Olympics, will be held in front of empty stands due to the COVID-19 pandemic, athletes will only be allowed to make political statements in mixed zones and during media appointments – or via social media. DBS advises athletes to stick to the rules The 134 members of Germany's Paralympics team have "been advised to adhere to the regulations," the DBS stated in response to a DW query.
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