The IOC has reprimanded Norwegian cross-country skiers after they completed a race while sporting black armbands. The armbands were worn in mourning after the younger brother of athlete Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen died suddenly on Friday.
The IOC’s press spokesperson Emmanuelle Moreau explained that, “We understand their desire to honour their friends’ memory, but we believe that a competitive arena, where the atmosphere is one of celebration, is not the right place to do it.”
Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter states that “no kind of demonstration, political or religious, should appear on athletes’ clothing or equipment”, but should the IOC have made an exception?
The entire ski team was quite emotional after the race, embracing each other through tears. While the ban on religious or political protests in sports is necessary, is mourning the death of a close friend a protest? The Olympics are certainly about bringing the world’s nations together for peaceful and good-natured competition, however the emotion that so many Olympians display suggests silencing them would not be in the best interest of the games.
The Norwegians were well aware that the armbands were against the rules, yet decided to proceed regardless. The team’s coach Vidar Løfshus explained they “had a desire to do this and felt it was right,” while skier Marit Bjoergen said, “It was worth it.”
All four Norwegian skiers – Bjoergen, Heidi Weng, Therese Johaug, and Kristin Stoermer Steira – competed in the Ladies’ skiathlon on Saturday, with Bjoergen and Weng finishing first and third respectively.
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