IOC okays Statue of Liberty, nays Admiral Yi
Effort to exclude politics seems more political
By Nam Hyun-woo
Men's ice hockey team goalie Matt Dalton's mask features Admiral Yi Sun-sin. While banning this mask from appearing at the PyeongChang Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said the U.S. goalies can wear masks printed with the image of the Statue of Liberty. / Yonhap
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is possibly showing a double-standard in its rules over prohibiting political statement in sport, as it allows U.S. women’s ice hockey goaltenders to wear masks including an image of the Statue of Liberty, while banning a Korean’s mask with its national hero.
USA Today reported Tuesday that the IOC has decided to allow the Statue of Liberty image to stand on the goalie masks belonging to U.S. players Nicole Hensley and Alex Rigsby.
This followed earlier reports that the IOC said the images would have to be removed, with USA Hockey spokesman Dave Fischer quoted as saying “discussions were ongoing” with the IOC.
However, IOC spokesman Mark Adams said Wednesday: “There seems to be a misunderstanding. There were reports in the press that they were banned but they were not banned.”
The masks have been controversial whether it is a violation of IOC guidelines that state: “No Item may feature the wording or lyrics from national anthems, motivational words, public/political messaging or slogans related to national identity.”
Regardless of the difference between reports and the IOC’s statement, both lead to the same conclusion that the Americans can wear Lady Liberty masks.
The move is in stark contrast with the IOC’s Feb. 3 decision to ban Korean men’s ice hockey goalie Matt Dalton from wearing his mask printed with the image of Admiral Yi Sun-sin.
Yi, a naval commander of the Joseon Dynasty, is depicted here as a hero who defended the country from a Japanese invasion in the 1590s.
In the decision, the IOC interpreted that the image can throw a political message to the subtle relations between Korea and Japan.
The IOC has been under suspicion in some quarters that it is being “political” regarding rules prohibiting political messages in sports.
In the 2012 London Summer Olympics, Japan’s gymnastics athletes wore a uniform bearing images of the Rising Sun flag, a reminder here of Japanese war crimes and imperial aggression before and during World War II. However, the IOC did not made any bans or punishments regarding the design.
On the other hand, the IOC has been trying to come down hard on Koreans. In the same Games, the IOC withheld Korea’s footballer Park Jong-woo’s bronze medal after he displayed a banner, saying Dokdo is Korean territory. Dokdo is Korea’s easternmost island, on which Japan continues to lay claims on it.
In the PyeongChang Games also, Korea had to remove the image of Dokdo in the image depicting the Korean Peninsula, a symbol showing a unified Korea, as IOC found it controversial after a protest from Japan.