The International Olympic Committee (IOC) says it has been assured by China that its athletes will no longer wear political insignia during medal ceremonies at the Tokyo Games.
This comes after two Chinese cyclists, women’s sprint winners Bao Shanju and Zhong Tianshi, wore badges with an image of former leader Mao Zedong during a medal ceremony last week.
According to the BBC, the IOC had received a ‘clarification’ from the Chinese Olympic Committee over the political gesture of its athletes.
Article 50 of the Olympic Charter says that ‘no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas’.
The IOC said it reviewed the incident, and had received assurances from China.
IOC director of corporate communications and public affairs Christian Klaue said: ‘On China, we have received clarification and the athletes have been warned. We have also received assurances that it will not happen again. With this, the IOC considers this case closed.’
Mao Zedong ruled China with an iron fist from 1949 until his death in 1976. He was responsible for one of the biggest humanitarian disasters in history when his Great Leap Forward campaign, aimed at modernising China’s agriculture and industry, led to widespread famine and the deaths of up to 45 million people.
Billions of Chairman Mao badges were produced in China in the 1960s. They were worn during the Cultural Revolution to show loyalty to Mao, but remain commonplace today.
[Image: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay]