Athlete who protested during Olympic qualifiers: ‘I never said that I didn’t want to go’

Published June 30, 2021 2:13pm ET



The U.S. hammer thrower who did not cover her heart with her hand and face the American flag when the national anthem was playing as she stood on the third-place podium responded to critics who said she shouldn’t be representing the country.

During the anthem at Saturday’s Olympic qualifier in Oregon, first-place finisher DeAnna Price and second-place finisher Brooke Anderson stood with their hands over their hearts while facing the flag. Berry, however, shifted to face the crowd, held her ceremonial flowers by her side, and eventually held up and then covered her head with a T-shirt that read “Activist Athlete.”

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