9781422284292

GREATEST MOMENTS

Human Rights Salute

At those 1968 Mexico City Games, Beamon’s teammates Tommie Smith and John Carlos made a historic impression of their own. The two sprinters were competitors in the 200 m (219 yard) event, in which Smith was the current world record holder. In the event final, Smith blazed to a new record 19.83 seconds. Carlos finished third to win the bronze medal behind Peter Norman of Australia.

The three medalists then took place in the most eventful medal ceremony in Olympic history. Smith and Carlos, both African American, had been vocal critics of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and its stance on human rights leading up to the games, especially president Avery Brundage. During the playing of the U.S. national anthem, both men raised black-gloved fists in the air and bowed their heads in a salute intended to draw attention to what they saw as human rights shortfalls in their country and others. All three medalists wore the badge of the Olympic Project for Human Rights.

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