In some confusing news, the Paralympics, which kicks off soon in Paris, has a rule in place that makes little sense to fans. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) will disqualify any athlete with a tattoo of the Olympic rings visible on their bodies.
Here is why the committee is punishing athletes who celebrate the Olympics.
Paralympics Have Disqualified Athletes With Tattoos In The Past
This rule comes from an incident in the past, but the rules based on the Olympic rings make no sense. Regarding the Summer Olympics, these rules are considered a “common sense approach.” In one case, American middle-distance runner Nick Symmonds was paid $21,800 from T-Mobile to tattoo their logo on his arm.
This happened in the 2016 Rio Olympics, which caused problems with AT&T, which was a sponsor of Team USA at the time. However, this was the Summer Olympics, not the Paralympics. When it comes to the Paralympics, there are no “common sense” rules. It is a flat rule that says any tattoos considered “advertising” result in a disqualification.
The Paralympics considers the Olympic rings advertising for the Summer and Winter Olympics. This seems counterproductive. The trend of athletes getting Olympic ring tattoos to show their pride started after the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Chris Jacobs, a swimmer who earned three medals at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, said it is “like a membership card to an exclusive club” (via USA Today). “They represent a lot to many people. I wanted to commemorate that period in my life.”
Fans Feel Paralympics ‘Discriminatory’ To Athletes
Since the Olympic ring tattoos honor making it to the Olympics, many athletes end up punished for “advertising” when there is no advertising.
Fans online have chimed in, questioning what the Paralympics preaches “inclusiveness” but is actually discriminating against the athletes who show pride in their accomplishments.
- “What if it was an ex-Olympian (who had the tattoo) and who now has a disability, so needs to be in the paraolympics?”
- “How can the Olympic rings be considered ‘advertising’?”
- “Well it didn’t get the able Olympians banned so let’s talk equality.”
There is a way that the athletes can still compete with the tattoos, but it is harder for some (swimmers) than others (track). If the athletes sport a tattoo the IPC considers advertising, they can cover it up. Since the IPC considers the Olympic rings “advertising,” the athletes need to cover the tattoos somehow.
The IPC penalized and disqualified Josef Craig from his swimming competition because of the Olympic rings tattooed on his chest. The cerebral palsy athlete won the event but then had the win stripped.
Heading into the 2016 Rio Olympics, he circumvented the roles by painting the Union Jack flag over the Olympic rings. Since the IPC can’t logically consider a country’s flag to be advertising, they couldn’t penalize him.
What do you think about the Paralympics rules against Olympic rings tattoos? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
