Hammer thrower Gwen Barry recently turned his back on the flag during the American Anthem during an awards ceremony at one of the Olympic qualifying competitions and then covered his face with his T-shirt. He then began a confusing explanation and said he thought they were trying to put him in an awkward position directly.
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Gwen Barry recently won a bronze medal in one of the U.S. Olympic qualifying competitions in hammer throw. At the awards ceremony, however, the black athlete did not stand on the podium next to his rivals, but turned his back on the American flag.
A scandalous movement after Barry qualified for the Olympics for the second time in his career, thanks to his track record, fans are more likely to remember the athlete’s disrespect.
Not only did Barry turn his back on the American flag under the anthem, but he also covered his face with a T-shirt labeled “activist athlete.” Nevertheless, the hammer thrower told The New York Post that the action was not pre-planned, but a victim of a conspiracy to expose him.
Barry pointed out that he knew the anthem would be played before they got on the podium and blamed the organizers for what happened. However, he added that he didn’t even want to talk about the anthem itself, as it “doesn’t matter, it’s not about me and he never spoke about me”.
However, according to the organizers, everything happens according to a schedule, and this is already publicly available to everyone the day before. This is not the first time Barry has caused a scandal. In 2019, at the Pan American Games, he raised his hand clenched into a fist during the American anthem, which is why the U.S. Olympic Committee also issued a warning.
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