Costa Rican gymnast Luciana Alvarado made history at the Tokyo Olympics after protesting in favor of Black Lives Matter.
On Sunday, the 18-year-old took a moment at the conclusion of her floor routine to place a power fist in the air while also taking a knee.
“My cousin and I, we both do it in our routines,” she said, Today reported. “And I feel like if you do something that brings everyone together, you know, and you see that here, like, ‘Yes, you’re one of mine, you understand things’, the importance of everyone treated with respect and dignity and everyone having the same rights because we’re all the same and we’re all beautiful and amazing so I think that’s why I love to have it in my routine and I love that my little cousin does it on her routine too.”
The tribute makes history as it is the first to take place on a global stage for elite gymnastics. Alvarado also paved the way for her home country as the first gymnast from Costa Rica to qualify for the Olympics.
“I’m very proud of her,” Sharon Reed said in a segment on the Black News Channel. “She didn’t just do this to say, ‘I support you Black people in America.’ This is also a lesson on what happened in Costa Rica: the slave trade there, the influx of Black Jamaicans…She got her point across.”
As Blavity previously reported, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned athletes from wearing Black Lives Matter apparel during the Summer Games this year after a survey showed that 70% of competitors think demonstrating any “political, religious or racial propaganda” should be prohibited.
“A very clear majority of athletes said that they think it’s not appropriate to demonstrate or express their views on the field of play, at the official ceremonies or at the podium,” Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee’s commission chief, said during a press conference. “So our recommendation is to preserve the podium, field of play and official ceremonies from any kind of protest or demonstrations or acts perceived as such.”
Source: Costa Rican Gymnast Luciana Alvarado Honors Black Lives Matter During Floor Routine At Olympics
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