The International Olympic Committee lifetime ban for Vince Matthews, the 400m gold medalist from the 1972 Munich Games, was lifted on Friday, Dec. 12th, 2022. According to NBC Sports, the IOC has not commented on the reason for the reversal but historical events point to the decline of social movements and a racial backlash that was in full force in the global community in 1972.
Fifty years ago, two African American athletes, Vincent Matthews and Wayne Collett won gold and silver respectively in the 400m at the Munich Olympics in December 1972. At the medal ceremony, the two athletes broke Olympics protocol and staged the famous medal stand protest which saw them being penalized.
According to reports, the International Olympic Committee Executive Board said that the now 74-year-old Matthews would be accredited for future Olympics if requested, as confirmed by U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland.
“My Olympic participation ended almost 50 years ago,” Matthews wrote in an email to NBCSports.com.
“Over the years, I have made a concerted effort to move with an eye toward the future. I live by the following quote `When looking back doesn’t interest you anymore, you’re doing the right thing.’ At this point in my life, the right thing is looking/moving forward and not looking backward.”
The IOC is still known for not tolerating any kind of protest or demonstration that would tend to highlight and challenge racist activities or actions.
Harry Edwards, the civil-rights stalwart and sports sociologist at San Jose State University, told The Guardian, “The whole history of the Olympic movement is rife with antisemitism and racism.”
“It’s never too late to apologize and to honor people who not only tried to reflect the Olympic ideals but to live by them, to be willing to sacrifice, to project and make real the ideals of the Olympic movement, ” said Harry Edwards.
