One word is banned from the Olympics due to little-known rule and it’s made life pretty hard for one country’s supporters
There are a handful of pretty strict rules that attendees of the 2024 Olympic Games must follow in order to be allowed into the various Parisian venues.
Apparently, however, one restriction went straight over the head of a horrified spectator this week, which led to a banner she'd made being ripped out of her hands by French security.
When Taiwanese student Angela Yang rocked up to support her home-country as they played badminton earlier this week, she stood up in the stands, whipping a colossal banner of support out in a bid to encourage her nation's athletes.
Advert
The green banner was cut in a way that mirrored the shape of the tiny East Asian island, and bore the words 'jiayou Taiwan' (Go Taiwan) down the middle in golden writing.
Yang was only able to hold her banner high for a number of seconds, however, before she was surrounded by Olympic security at all angles.
Terrified, she implored to know what it was they wanted with her, afraid she'd be asked to leave the sporting tournament.
Yang says that what happened left her 'angered' to the core.
According to her own account, a security guard proceeded to reach across her and gripped hold of her banner.
"I was still holding my poster and the security kept talking to his co-worker with his walkie-talkie," she subsequently told press.
"After that there was a man, we [think] he’s a Chinese man, he stood in front of me to block the poster."
It later transpired that Olympic officials felt forced to intercede in the incident, due to the fact that there is a ban on national flags or political messages at the games.
And before you argue that flags are often seen being held up by spectators, these is a particular deep-routed issue with references to Taiwan at the tournament.
This stems back to the long-standing dispute surrounding the country's association with China, being that the Taiwan is known officially as the Republic of China.
As such, when the nation competes at international games, sporting individuals are forced to do so under representation of 'Chinese Taipei'.
The rule has been strictly enforced by the International Olympic Committee for some years - despite remaining politically contentious - due to pressure from the Chinese Communist party government, who are continuously attempting to minimise Taiwan's international space as much as possible.
As such, any reference - whether written or spoken - to 'Taiwan' as it's own country are totally banned from the games.
Following Yang's run-in with security, she told press that she felt violated.
"I was really surprised. And I was really sad and angry at the same time," Yang said.
"We’re not doing anything wrong. Why would we be treated like this?"
'Taiwan' as a word and a nation now joins Russian and Belarus in the list of references banned from the games, with the latter two having been punished for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
The country's foreign ministry subsequently described the incident as 'violent', claiming the move went against Olympic values of friendship and respect.
The IOC later attempted to justify their decision by claiming that there are 'very clear rules' at these events.
Team GB's current medal count - 49
Gold medallists
- Rosalind Canter, Laura Collett, Tom McEwen: Equestrian - Eventing team
- Tom Pidcock: Mountain Bike - Men's cross country
- Nathan Hales: Shooting - Men's trap
- Tom Dean, Kieran Bird, James Guy, Jack McMillan, Matthew Richards, Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 4x200m freestyle
- Alex Yee: Men's triathlon
- Lauren Henry, Lola Anderson, Hannah Scott and Georgina Brayshaw: Rowing - Women's quadruple sculls
- Bryony Page: Gymnastics - Women's individual trampoline
- Emily Craig and Imogen Grant: Rowing - Women's lightweight double sculls
- Ben Maher, Harry Charles and Scott Brash: Equestrian - Team jumping
- Sholto Carnegie, Rory Gibbs, Morgan Bolding, Jacob Dawson, Charlie Elwes, Tom Digby, James Rudkin and Tom Ford: Rowing: Men's eight
- Sophie Capewell, Emma Finucane, Katy Marchant: Track cycling - Women's team sprint
- Keely Hodgkinson: Athletics - Women's 800m
Silver medallists
- Anna Henderson: Cycling - Women's individual time trial
- Adam Peaty: Swimming - Men's 100m breaststroke
- Tom Daley and Noah Williams: Diving - Men's synchronised 10m platform
- Adam Burgess: Canoe Slalom - Men's canoe single
- Matthew Richards: Swimming - Men's 200m freestyle
- Kieran Reilly: Cycling - Men's BMX Freestyle
- Helen Glover, Esme Booth, Sam Redgrave and Rebecca Shorten: Rowing - Women's coxless four
- Oliver Wynne-Griffith and Thomas George: Rowing - Men's pair
- Benjamin Proud: Swimming - Men's 50m freestyle
- Duncan Scott: Swimming - Men's 200m individual medley
- Amber Rutter: Shooting - Women's skeet
- Tommy Fleetwood: Golf - Men's individual stroke play
- Joe Clarke: Canoe slalom - Men's kayak cross
- Ed Lowe, Hamish Turnbull and Jack Carlin: Track cycling - Men's sprint
- Josh Kerr: Athletics - Men's 1500m
- Matt Hudson-Smith: Athletics - Men's 400m
- Daniel Bigham, Ethan Hayter, Charlie Tanfield, Ethan Vernon, Oliver Wood: Track Cycling - Men's team pursuit
Bronze medallists
- Yasmin Harper and Scarlett Mew Jensen: Diving - Women's synchronised 3m springboard
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe - Women's slalom
- Laura Collett: Equestrian - Eventing individual
- Beth Potter: Women's triathlon
- Andrea Spendolini-Sirieix and Lois Toulson: Diving - Women's synchronised 10m platform
- Oliver Wilkes, David Ambler, Matt Aldridge and Freddie Davidson: Rowing - Men's coxless four
- Mathilda Hodgkins-Byrne and Becky Wilde: Rowing - Women's double sculls
- Jack Laugher and Anthony Harding: Diving - men's synchronised 3m springboard
- Heidi Long, Rowan McKellar, Holly Dunford, Emily Ford, Lauren Irwin, Eve Stewart, Harriet Taylor and Annie Campbell-Orde - Rowing: Women's eight
- Emma Wilson: Sailing: Women's windsurfing
- Jake Jarman: Artistic gymnastics - Men's floor exercise
- Lottie Fry, Becky Moody and Carl Hester: Equestrian - Team Grand Prix Special
- Alex Wilson-Haydock, Laviai Nielsen, Samuel Reardon, Nicole Yeargin: Athletics - Mixed 4x400m relay
- Lottie Fry and Glamourdale: Equestrian - Individual dressage
- Harry Hepworth: Artistic gymnastics - Men's vault
- Alex Yee, Georgia Taylor-Brown, Samuel Dickinson and Beth Potter: Triathlon - Mixed relay
- Kimberley Woods: Canoe slalom - Women's kayak cross
- Sky Brown - Skateboarding - Women's park
- Lewis Richardson: Boxing - Men's 71kg
- Elinor Barker, Josie Knight, Anna Morris, Jessica Roberts: Track Cycling - Women's team pursuit
Topics: World News, Olympics, Sport
Rhianna Benson