VARIOUS: OLYMPICS - Former American athlete Tommie Smith reflects on Black Power salute at 1968 Olympics

Record ID: 330839

  • Title: VARIOUS: OLYMPICS - Former American athlete Tommie Smith reflects on Black Power salute at 1968 Olympics
  • Date: 12th July 2012
  • Summary: LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 11, 2012) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) FORMER OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL WINNER TOMMIE SMITH, SAYING: "No I didn't race again because again there was belief that we were too violent to put in the mainstream, to represent something that was so pure that two black guys would destroy if we were part of. Which was ludicrous but it did happen."
  • Embargoed: 27th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Mexico, China, United Kingdom
  • City:
  • Country: China Mexico United Kingdom
  • Topics: Entertainment,Politics,Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA68LJLEB2USN6SXIS1TJBE15XH
  • Story Text: It was an iconic moment of the 1960s - when American runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos bowed their heads and raised gloved fists in a Black Power salute on the podium at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City.
    Smith was just 24 then, and had sprinted to victory in the 200 metres final in a remarkable 19.83 seconds. But his decision, with bronze medal winner Carlos, to bring racial politics to the podium was met with vilification and outrage and destroyed his running career.
    "I think of the sacrifice," said Smith as he looked back at that moment.
    "Being much older now, much older, I can see the sacrifice of these two young men. Them not knowing what to expect but still making one of the biggest sacrifices of their careers, in fact of their lives."
    Smith was in London on Wednesday (July 11) to help promote the film "Salute", which tells the story of Australian Peter Norman who finished second in Mexico City. Norman, who died in 2006, wore a human rights badge on the podium in support of Smith and Carlos. None of the trio was ever selected to run for his country again.
    "John Carlos, Tommie Smith and Peter Norman met unilaterally in one place all believing the same thing on human rights issues. The platform used was ideal. It was so ideal that people viewed it as very negative and we were vilified because of it. Them believing that the Olympic Games is only used for competition and no involvement in politics. Whereas the Olympic Games was full of politics," said Smith.
    "Now the platform we had was the only platform we could use. We couldn't use a military platform because we couldn't go out and bomb everybody, so that's not a platform. We couldn't use an academic platform because we had not graduated. But we were smart enough to use what we had - the fastest men in the world - and smart enough to realise the need because we lived the need which a lot of people didn't have a way out of," he added.
    Smith shows no bitterness about being ostracised by the Olympic Committee, and said he is excited to be in London for the games and will watch the athletics competition. He said world 100 metre record holder Usain Bolt could break the nine-second barrier if he gets a start as fast as his training partner Yohan Blake.
    But he said he will face stiff competition.
    "Man is not limited and Usain Bolt is one of those people who can untie any limits in the 100 and the 200. But you must remeber that he has teammates who are just as good I believe and he also has other countires and I must mention one country that I know will give him a problem and that is the US," he said.
    Smith set a world record of 19.83 seconds in the thin air of Mexico City at the 1968 Olympics, a mark which stood for 11 years. On Smith's own reckoning if he had not lost speed by raising his arms in triumph over the final strides he would "have been pushing 18.9, 19.1, 19.2".
    Smith's visit to London was at the invitation of campaign group Operation Black Vote, who paid for his fare and said he was an ispirational roe model for the sporting and black communities.
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