Related video above: Surging COVID-19 Infections Loom Over U.S. While Tokyo Olympics Faces Potential ChaosThe International Olympic Committee says it will start including images of athletes taking a knee in its official highlights reels and social media channels.Players from five women's soccer teams kneeled in support of racial justice Wednesday, the first day it was allowed at the Olympic Games after a ban lasting decades.But those images were excluded from the official Tokyo Olympic highlights package provided by the IOC to media including The Associated Press that could not broadcast the games live. Official Olympic social media channels also did not include pictures of the athlete activism."The IOC is covering the Games on its owned and operated platforms and such moments will be included as well," the Olympic body said Thursday in an apparent change of policy.Great Britain and Chile teams took a knee on the pitch before their match, and the United States and Sweden teams knelt ahead of their clash on Wednesday.It's been almost five years since former NFL player Colin Kaepernick knelt during a pre-game National Anthem to protest racial inequality. Since then, and especially since George Floyd's death in police custody in May 2020, athletes around the world have made the gesture in solidarity with the equality movement and against the oppression of people of color."For us, it feels right to stand up for human rights. There was communication with the U.S. team," Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt said after the match. "It feels good to do that. It is something we stand for as a team."The women's soccer team from New Zealand took a knee before their opening match against Australia. The Aussies remained standing with their arms locked together.The Australian team posed for a pregame picture with the country's indigenous flag.CNN contributed to this report.
Related video above: Surging COVID-19 Infections Loom Over U.S. While Tokyo Olympics Faces Potential Chaos
The International Olympic Committee says it will start including images of athletes taking a knee in its official highlights reels and social media channels.
Players from five women's soccer teams kneeled in support of racial justice Wednesday, the first day it was allowed at the Olympic Games after a ban lasting decades.
But those images were excluded from the official Tokyo Olympic highlights package provided by the IOC to media including The Associated Press that could not broadcast the games live.
Official Olympic social media channels also did not include pictures of the athlete activism.
"The IOC is covering the Games on its owned and operated platforms and such moments will be included as well," the Olympic body said Thursday in an apparent change of policy.
Great Britain and Chile teams took a knee on the pitch before their match, and the United States and Sweden teams knelt ahead of their clash on Wednesday.
It's been almost five years since former NFL player Colin Kaepernick knelt during a pre-game National Anthem to protest racial inequality. Since then, and especially since George Floyd's death in police custody in May 2020, athletes around the world have made the gesture in solidarity with the equality movement and against the oppression of people of color.
"For us, it feels right to stand up for human rights. There was communication with the U.S. team," Swedish defender Amanda Ilestedt said after the match. "It feels good to do that. It is something we stand for as a team."
The women's soccer team from New Zealand took a knee before their opening match against Australia. The Aussies remained standing with their arms locked together.
The Australian team posed for a pregame picture with the country's indigenous flag.
CNN contributed to this report.
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