The International Olympic Committee is looking into the gesture U.S. athlete Raven Saunders made after the shot put silver medallist raised her arms in an X above her head, a potential breach of rules banning protests on medal podiums.
The IOC is in contact with World Athletics, the international governing body for the sport, and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, IOC spokesman Mark Adams told a news conference on Monday.
The IOC last month relaxed its Rule 50, which had forbidden athletes from any protests. It now allows them to make gestures on the field, provided they do so without disruption and with respect for fellow competitors.
However, the threat of sanctions still remain if any protests are made on the podium during the medal ceremony.
Saunders made the gesture on the podium after taking her maiden Games medal on Sunday.
“Let them try and take this medal,” Saunders said in a late night post on social media in an apparent reference to the IOC’s rules restricting protests.
