A Paralympic athlete had spoken out after reports that his Olympic rings tattoo could see him banned from competing.
As previously reported, The Olympic rings, created by Pierre de Coubertin, symbolize the unity of the five inhabited continents.
Many athletes proudly wear this emblem as a tattoo, marking their achievements in the Olympic Games.
However, while this symbol is celebrated worldwide, it is not welcomed by the IPC.
The IPC’s rule against "body advertising" applies to the Olympic rings tattoo, which could lead to disqualification if visible during competition.
Retired British Paralympian Josef Craig experienced this firsthand when he was disqualified from the S8 100m freestyle heat at the IPC Swimming European Championships in Portugal, despite winning the race.
The reason for his disqualification was the visibility of his Olympic rings tattoo, prominently displayed on the left side of his chest under a ParalympicsGB lion's head.
"Body advertising is not allowed in any way whatsoever, and that includes the Olympic rings," an IPC spokesperson explained at the time.
"The athlete did not wear a cover and was therefore disqualified. All teams are informed of the advertising policy at a technical meeting prior to competition. It wasn’t as if they had not been reminded about the rules."
American Paralympian Rudy Garcia-Tolson, who has the Olympic rings tattooed on the back of his left shoulder, has also been impacted by this regulation.
After winning gold in the 200m individual medley swimming, Garcia-Tolson had the rings inked as a mark of his achievement.
However, when he competed in the London 2012 Paralympics, he was required to cover the tattoo due to the newly enforced rule.
He shared his experience with NBC Sports, explaining that he attempted to cover the tattoo with a marker, but the ink wore off by the time he entered the pool.
Despite this, he was not disqualified and was able to keep his silver medal.
Reflecting on the situation, Garcia-Tolson said: “That was kind of unintentional, but at the same time I feel like that’s who I am.”
As he prepared for the Rio 2016 Paralympics, Garcia-Tolson discussed the necessity of covering up his tattoo, despite his disagreement with the rule.
"I don’t really agree with it, but it’s the rules, so we’re just going to have to go with it,” he said. “I’m going to follow the rules. I don’t want to put all this hard work in and then get disqualified for something I have on my body.”
Garcia-Tolson also highlighted a tradition among Paralympians: those who earn a gold medal often reward themselves by getting the famous rings tattoo.
“We feel like we should be treated no differently than our Olympic teammates,” he said. “The title, the names, to me it’s just kind of unimportant. Who’s to say in 20 years we don’t have the same logo [as the Olympics].”
