Message sent: Berry turns away from flag during anthem

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – Hammer thrower Gwen Berry placed her left hand on her hip and took a quarter-turn so she was facing the stands, not the flag, while the national anthem played.

Toward the end of the song, she picked up her black T-shirt, with the words “Activist Athlete” emblazoned on the front, and draped it over her head.

Berry earned her spot, and her platform, at the Olympics, grabbing the third spot by a scant 2 inches over Janee Kassanavoid.

It was more than enough room to keep Berry’s message alive heading into Tokyo. There, she has promised to use her position to keep raising awareness about social injustices in her home country.