The “other” anthem protest: Wayne Collett, Vince Matthews and the 1972 Games

Wayne Collett and Vince Matthews of the U.S. on the men's 400 m victory stand at the 1972 Olympic Games (Photo: Associated Press via Wikipedia)

PALM DESERT, September 29, 2017 – The current furor over sitting, standing, protesting and counter-protesting of the U.S. national anthem is old news for long-time observers of the Olympic Games.

While the 1968 victory stand demonstration by sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos is well remembered, a non-demonstration on the victory stand by 400 m medalists Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett four years later in Munich is mostly forgotten. But it shouldn’t be.

We have a first-hand account of the circumstances, the event and the aftermath from Collett himself as recalled in 1977 in our Lane One commentary, plus an up-to-date report on a busy weekend coming up in Olympic sports:

= p. 6/Rowing: What to look for in the finals of the World Rowing Champs in Sarasota!
= p. 10/Swimming: Record-setting Sarah Sjostrom back for swimming World Cup no. 4 in Hong Kong;
= p. 12/Equestrian: U.S. looks for a medal in the FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona;
= p. 14/Alpine Skiing: An injury and training update on the U.S.’s Alpine stars;
= p. 17/Judo: France’s Teddy Riner, winner of 134 straight matches, headlines the World Cup in Zagreb!

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