Faiza Ahmed – Presstv.com video review of SALUTE in the UK
In this edition of the show Faiza Ahmed reviews the film; Salute, directed by Matt Norman.
The film provides an insight into an incident at the 1968 Summer Olympics which saw two United States athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, give the black power salute from the victory dais after the 200 metres final.
The film focuses on the third man on the dais, silver medal winner Peter Norman, who showed his support for Smith and Carlos by donning an “Olympic Project for Human Rights” (OPHR) badge on his way to the podium.
It was also Norman who suggested to Smith and Carlos that they share the black gloves used in their salute, after Carlos had left his gloves in the Olympic Village.This is the reason for Smith raising his right fist, while Carlos raised his left. Asked later about his support of Smith and Carlos’ cause by the world’s press, Norman said he opposed his country’s government’s White Australia policy.
The film documents the subsequent reprimand of Norman by the Australian Olympic authorities, and his ostracism by the Australian media. Also it looks at the affects this action had on Tommie and Jon Carlos’s lives.
Despite Norman running qualifying times for both the 100m and 200m during 1971/72, the Australian Olympic track team did not send him to the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. It also documents Norman’s reunion with Smith and Carlos, shortly before his death in 2006.
Presstv.com reviews Salute with Faiza Ahmed,