American Gold Medalists Kneel, Raise Fist During National Anthem, Face Punishment

Race Imboden, left, kneels next to Nick Itkin and Gerek Meinhardt during the national anthem at the Men's Foil Team medal ceremony during the Pan American Games Lima 2019 on Aug. 9, 2019. Jose Sotomayor-Lima 2019/AFP/Getty Images

Two Americans who won gold medals at the Pan American Games and knelt or raised a fist during the national anthem could face punishment because they didn’t adhere to the terms they committed to, the governing body said.

“Every athlete competing at the 2019 Pan American Games commits to terms of eligibility, including to refrain from demonstrations that are political in nature,” Mark Jones, the vice president of communications for U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee [USOPC], told ESPN in a statement on Aug. 11.