The Other Man on the Podium (1968 Olympics)

[Alidar Jarok]

I found this to be a touching story that I didn't know anything about. I actually wondered how the third guy (Australian Peter Norman) felt about the Black Power salute. I had assumed that he didn't know ahead of time about it. This is much better. Shame he hasn't gotten more recognition.

Link

An apprentice butcher from Melbourne, he had learned to run in a pair of borrowed spikes. More significantly, he had grown up in a Salvation Army family, with a set of simple but strong values instilled from an early age. As his nephew Matt Norman, director of the new film, Salute, remembers: "The whole Norman family were brought up in the Salvos, so we knew we had to look after our fellow man, but that was about it."

In Mexico, that was enough for Norman, who felt compelled to join forces with his fellow athletes in their stand against racial inequality.

The three were waiting for the victory ceremony when Norman discovered what was about to happen. It was Norman who, when John Carlos found he'd forgotten his black gloves, suggested the two runners shared Smith's pair, wearing one each on the podium. And when, to the crowd's astonishment, they flung their fists in the air, the Australian joined the protest in his own way, wearing a badge from the Olympic Project for Human Rights that they had given him.

 

[gblews]

Never heard this story before. Very interesting.

 

[MacLeod]

Perhaps the lack of regonition is down to a number of factors amongest which would be the press would focus on the American athletes.

 

[Alidar Jarok]

Well, he's also not the one doing the pose. Most people probably assumed what I assumed, that he had nothing to do with it and was in the picture simply because he won silver.

That's why it's good to have my preconceived notions destroyed.

 

[Orac Zen]

Shamefully, Peter Norman was treated just as poorly by our Olympic officials (and other...elements of society) as were John Carlos and Tommie Smith. Although he apparently had the support of some officials in the aftermath of the salute, he was banned from international competition for two years and wasn't selected for the 1972 Olympics despite bettering the qualifying times. He wasn't invited to attend a ceremony involving Australian Olympic medallists at the Sydney Olympics and apparently would have been ignored altogether if US officials hadn't ensured he attended. Pathetic stuff on our part.

I like his statement after the medal ceremony: "I believe that every man is born equal and should be treated that way." He's someone we should be proud of.