Costa Rican Gymnast Luciana Alvarado Takes Knee, Raises Fist To Pay Homage To Black Lives Matter During Olympic Routine

Costa Rican Gymnast Luciana Alvarado Takes Knee, Raises Fist To Pay Homage To Black Lives Matter During Olympic Routine

Luciana Alvarado is Costa Rica’s first Olympic gymnast, and thanks to her gesture at the end of her routine, that’s not the only reason she’s making history.

She notably took a knee and raised her fist to support the Black Lives Matter movement at the end of her routine.

Con la rodilla en el piso, la cabeza hacia atrás y el puño en alto, la gimnasta de Costa Rica Luciana Alvarado homenajeó al movimiento #BlackLivesMatter al término de su rutina#CRC  #Tokyo2020  #JuegosOlimpicos #ArtisticGymnastics pic.twitter.com/SbunI9Kj29

— Paola Rojas (@PaolaRojas) July 26, 2021

She clarified any mystery of the message she wanted to send and told GymCastic podcast that she wanted to salute Black Lives Matter. Luciana Alvarado added,

“I feel like if you do something that brings everyone together, and you see that here, like ‘Yes, you’re one of mine, you understand … the importance of treating everyone with respect and dignity and everyone having the same rights because we’re all the same and we’re all beautiful and amazing,’ so I think that’s why I love to have that [pose] in my routine.”

The viral pose is the first to ever be displayed at an international and elite gymnastics competition.

Even though the Olympics committee has previously banned athletes from protesting during the games (and wearing apparel with phrases like Black Lives Matter), there doesn’t seem to be any concern of whether Alvarado will face any consequences since her pose could be considered an “artistic expression,” GymCastic explained.

The move marked her final moment at this year’s Olympics as her performance didn’t qualify for the finals.

What are your thoughts on Luciana Alvarado’s pose? Comment and let us know.