1.
SCU Wayne Collett (white shirt) walks past.
0.08

2.
CU Collet speaks
1.15


SOF STARTS: No, that was no protest..........



SOF END: ".... that gesture."


3.
SV & CU PAN Collett boarding plane. (2 shots)
1.25


COLLETT: "No, there was no protest, per se, involved for me. I.....I've said it before and I'll say it again - I can't in fair conscience stand at attention for our national anthem. I haven't been able to since I was a youngster. You know, a high school kind. I feel it's hypocritical, and that the things that are on there.... they just don't exist in our country. It's a shame, but that's the way it is. And...and I wasn't trying to insult them. God only knows, you know, I only had an Olympics spirit in mind when I was up on the stands there. The one thing I feel badly about over this whole thing is me being.....when I got up on the podium, that was by any stretch of the imagination no kind of alight against the Olympics. I mean it was totally in the spirit of the Olympic games. Cuba team had said it's not the winning, its the competing. And so you know, like....we were together. And that's all it was. And I feel badly that people have misinterpreted that gesture."




Initials OP/VS 23.55 OP/VS 0.01


SPORTS - TRACK & FIELD

Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Runner Wayne Collett, who together with U.S. team-mate Vice Matthews is banned from the Olympic Games for life following his behaviour at the 400-metres final medal presentations in Munich, says he and Matthews meant no disrespect to the Games.

Gold medallist Matthews and silver medallist Collett turned away from the U.S. flag and chatted casually amongst themselves during the playing of their anthem. Then Matthews was seen to twirl his medal around and give a 'Black Power' salute when leaving the stadium.

In this interview Collett insists it was a gesture of disapproval to the U.S. anthem itself rather than to the Olympic ceremonials that motivated the actions of the two champion Black athletes.