American Olympian Turns Away During Playing Of National Anthem

A HARRY HURLEY OPINION - EDITORIAL

Gwen Berry, a United States hammer thrower turned away from the American flag and was “pissed” that the “Star Spangled Banner,” national anthem was being played as she was on the podium receiving her bronze medal.

This act occurred this past Saturday, June 26, 2021 at the United States Olympic track and field trials.

I never heard of Berry before this unpatriotic circus stunt. I’d like to now forget about her just as fast.

The current anti-American atmosphere in our country is disturbing and dangerous.

When I think about American athletes on the podium, whether at the Olympic trials or Olympic Games; I envision Americans, who love their country and are so proud to represent America on the world stage.

Instead, what we have here is something very different.

Berry faced away from the American flag and soon thereafter held up a black shirt that read, “Activist Athlete.”

At one point during the national anthem, Berry covered her face with the shirt.

It’s hard for most Americans to comprehend how an American athlete would be “pissed” by her own national anthem playing. Most would be bursting with American pride - having just qualified to represent her country in the Olympic Games.

This will be Berry’s second Olympic Games, however, in my view, she should be removed from the United States Olympic team for conduct unbecoming an American Olympian.

”I feel like it was a set up, and they did it on purpose,” Berry said of the national anthem being played.

“I was pissed, to be honest. They had enough opportunities to play the national anthem before we got up there. I was thinking about what I should do. Eventually I stayed there and I swayed, I put my shirt over my head,” said Berry.

Completely denying her own questionable circus stunt, while her own national anthem was playing, Berry instead called out the Olympic trial organizers as being inappropriate to her.

“It was real disrespectful,“ Berry said. “I really didn’t want to be up there. Like I said, it was a set up. I was hot. I was ready to take my pictures and get into some shade,” said Berry.

Sad, that no one is talking about the winner and second place finishers, who stood still on the podium, with their hands over their hearts and stared straight ahead at the American and Oregon flags.

This is the current sad state of affairs in our country. Bad behavior is basically idle worshiped. By comparison, the gold and silver medalists remain unknown and unmentioned.

Their names are DeAnna Price (first) and Brooke Anderson (second). These two will be forgotten as quickly as I just mentioned them.

The national anthem was scheduled to play at 5:20 PM. It wasn’t scheduled to play during this particular medal ceremony. The national anthem is played every day according to a previously published schedule.

Berry said further, “My purpose and my mission is bigger than sports, I’m here to represent those… Who died due to systemic racism. That’s the important part. That’s why I’m going. That’s why I’m here today.“

Berry was previously sanctioned by the US Olympic committee after raising her fist during the national anthem at the 2019 Pan-Am Games.

There should be a significant sanction levied against Berry now because of these antics.

Only in Bizarro World could it be true that on December 2, 2020, Berry was awarded the Toyota Humanitarian Award, “given annual by USA Track and Field, for her role in the debate about social inequality on and off the playing field over the past 16 months.”

Get ready for “The Woke” Olympics, which begin on July 23, 2021.