The International Olympic Committee is looking into a gesture made by American shot putter Raven Saunders, who raised her arms and crossed them in an 'X' shape above her head.
The 25-year-old made the gesture on the medal podium on Sunday, August 1, as she posed for pictures after winning the silver medal in the final of the women's shot put at the Tokyo Olympic Games, Reuters reports.
The athlete, who is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, told the press afterward that the gesture represented "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet."
It was thought that the move could have been a violation of regulations at the sporting event, which prohibits protests on the podium.
The IOC is now "in contact" with World Athletics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), IOC spokesman Mark Adams announced at a news conference on Monday, August 2, per Reuters.
He went on to say, per CNN: "I don't want to say what those next steps would be until we fully understand what is going on. We don't want to pre-empt anything."
But according to the USOPC, Saunders' gesture did not violate its own rules.
The organization said in a statement, according to Reuters:
"As with all delegations, Team USA is governed by the Olympic Charter and rules set forth by the IOC for Tokyo 2020.
"Per the USOPC's delegation terms, the USOPC conducted its own review and determined that Raven Saunders' peaceful expression in support of racial and social justice that happened at the conclusion of the ceremony was respectful of her competitors and did not violate our rules related to demonstration."
In July, the IOC made efforts to relax its Rule 50, which had prohibited Olympic competitors from engaging in any protests.
The committee now allows athletes to make gestures on the field - only if they are not disruptive and are respectful towards all of the other athletes.
However, sanctions are still on the cards if athletes engage in protest while on the podium during the medal ceremony.
Saunders has since taken to Twitter, seemingly writing in response to the IOC's stance on podium protests: "Let them try and take this medal. I'm running across the border even though I can't swim."
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