Olympism is stirred by the possibility that the 2021 Tokyo Games will continue to see protests against racism that have spread in recent months in sport.

While the president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, recalled that Article 50 of the regulation prohibits political, racial or religious manifestations, Sebastian Coe, president of the International Athletics Federation (World Athletics), has been categorically in favor of give athletes freedom.

"The world is changing and I want our athletes to feel that they can be part of that debate. And they should be. They live in the same world as us. I always encourage them to express themselves beyond our sport. They have their position on economic inequality, They are deeply anti-racist, they are against discrimination ... Like so many young people in the world, "Coe pointed out in an interview with five Spanish media.

"We must understand the circumstances, and if sport has to play a role in all this, let it be as a catalyst and not as an inhibitor. It cannot isolate itself, we cannot shut ourselves in tightly before the direction the world is taking."

And in that context in which Sebastian Coe this week awarded a special award to

Tommie Smith

,

John Carlos

and -posthumously-

Peter Norman

for the famous gesture of the

raised

fist on the podium of the 200 meters of Mexico'68.

A gesture that the IOC still shuns, as the British leader dropped, despite its enormous importance in the history of sport.

"It was a very worthy demonstration of solidarity. It is nothing that I flee from, but something of which I am enormously proud," he said.

"Sport is not only a mirror of world trends, it has also marked them. Whether it was

Fanny Blankers-Koen

at the London 1948 Games and the development of women's sport;

Jesse Owens

in 1936 before the Aryan conception of the world,

Emil Zatopek

in 1956 or the salute of the Black Power in 1968 ".

Carbon slippers

Last weekend in Valencia, four athletes ran below the world record for half a marathon and

Ayad Lamdassem

broke the Spanish record for a marathon, which had been standing since 2006. In October, also in Valencia but on the track, the Ethiopian

Letesenbet Gidey

broke the record of 5,000 meters and the Ugandan

Joshua Cheptegei

the 10,000.

They all have in common the carbon fiber plate on the shoes, a development that has the approval of World Athletics.

Coe defends it as part of the technological innovation of sport, although without losing sight of the economic factor.

"I have witnessed the technological evolution in our sport. On surfaces, shoes, clothing, nutrition, physical work ... All this improves human performance. Sneakers are a very important element, but I do not see them as a threat, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the willingness of the big brands to continue investing in our sport ", he reasons.

"I have to take care of the balance between not strangling innovation and being aware that we have a regulation to draw the line between mechanical advantage and technological aid. This can help athletes to have a longer career and avoid injuries. I think that right now we have a good balance ", he explained about the debate on whether aid crosses the border of 'technological doping'.

"Every generation has seen all kinds of innovations. There has to be a balance and we have to watch it. If we have to adapt, we will. But for now we have it."

Sebastian Coe has tried to downplay the speed at which records are falling.

"It is very dangerous to extrapolate one or two years in the evolution of a test. In the 800 meters there have only been four world record holders since 1976. I myself held the record for 18 years," he argued.

And it has tried to point to other factors, such as the stoppage that the pandemic has forced.

"For the first time athletes have been able to get off that roller coaster. Perhaps the body was crying out for a respite, both physically and mentally and they have had a chance to rebuild and come back stronger."

Games with social distance

A few weeks ago Sebastian Coe traveled to Tokyo to visit the new Olympic stadium.

The top leader in world athletics remains hopeful that the Games can be held, although "there will have to be some adaptations."

"Things like the social distance in the Olympic village, the call room, the warm-up area ... Things that they have already gotten used to and that I think will continue."

Although a few days ago World Athletics had to postpone the Indoor World Cup to 2023, Coe is confident that the rest of the calendar can be played.

Including all 14

Diamond League events

.

"I'm a bit more optimistic. I'm not a scientist, but I think the arrival of the vaccine and our ability to deliver it will make a difference. But we have to be careful, because there is still a significant danger."

Transgender and intersex athletes

Recently, the Human Rights Observatory issued a report in which it condemned the controls on transgender or intersex athletes such as

Caster Semenya

or

Francine Niyonsaba

and classified them as "abusive" and discriminatory.

Coe was blunt:

"I'll try to be nice. The report had very little scientific foundation, it was intellectually dishonest and it was not a scientific analysis, just part of a debate. We know where they are going, and that report was missing any understanding of the sport. Under me mandate, we will do everything possible to maintain a level playing field in the competition. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

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