ZitatThe U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Tuesday formally reprimanded but did not suspend or otherwise punish the two U.S. athletes who protested on the medal stand earlier this month at the Pan American Games.
In letters to fencer Race Imboden and hammer thrower Gwen Berry, USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said that while she “applaud(ed)” each athlete’s “decision to be an active citizen,” calling it “admirable,” she noted that they must “abide by the policies we agree to in order to ensure the Games succeed in their purpose for many years to come.”
She wrote that the two athletes were considered to be in “a probationary period for the next 12 months. This means you could face more serious sanctions for any additional breach of our code of conduct than might otherwise be levied for an athlete in good standing.”
The letters, obtained by USA TODAY Sports, were most notable for what they did not do: prohibit either athlete from any competitions, practices or similar activities, now or in the future.