Christian Taylor interview: USA’s triple-jump king on George Floyd, rule 50 and starting an athletics revolution

Interview: Christian Taylor has launched a new athletes’ body, the Athletics Association, and as its president his first goal is to fight for the right to protest at the Tokyo Olympics

Christian Taylor: 'We know and believe that this rule goes against our human rights' (Getty)

Christian Taylor holds many ambitions as president of his newly formed athlete’s union, but in the wake of George Floyd’s murder one goal stands above the rest. He describes it as “the battle of rule 50” – a mission to rewrite the part of the Olympic charter which bans “demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda”, wording which means any taking of the knee or raising of the fist currently faces punishment.

“We know and believe that this rule goes against our human rights,” he says. The American triple-jump king, who holds two Olympic gold medals and four world titles, has established the new Athletics Association (AA) to stand up for athletes who have long felt under-represented at the sport’s top table. It has widespread backing with British heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and sprinter Adam Gemili on its diverse and global board, and Taylor believes they can make real change in challenging powerful governing bodies like the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Seb Coe’s World Athletics.

“A peaceful protest speaking on an injustice that an athlete is passionate about should never be shunned against or frowned upon,” he says. “Going back to Jesse Owens and throughout history there have been driving forces and some true leaders in the sport of athletics. Our sport is extremely beautiful and very special and unique in that way.”

The death of Floyd had a profound impact on Taylor, and he says it took him “about 10 days to really heal”. He had already been dealing with personal challenges like the postponement of the Olympic Games, separation from his fiancee under lockdown in Austria, and the passing of her grandfather who could not have a proper funeral during the pandemic, and Floyd’s death was “the last straw”, one that pushed him to seek help.

“Once the George Floyd murder happened, that was enough. I just could not handle it any more. I tried to reach out and I ended up going to counselling from it, because I just couldn’t understand how we could belittle the value of life, where the love went. That just baffled me. Now I’ve become more optimistic and more hopeful, and I’m doing what I can to ensure these deaths are not in vain.”

Rule 50 is the immediate goal, but there are many long-term aims to promote athlete welfare. There are plans to start a ‘hardship fund’ for athletes struggling to make ends meet; education programmes on financial literacy “to help athletes not leave the sport broke”; reversing World Athletics’ controversial plans to strip down the Diamond League; and ultimately to drive a power shift from governing bodies to athletes.

There is already an organisation set up to do this. The IOC-made Athletes’ Commission has long been the competitors’ representative body, but Taylor says it has never built meaningful communication with athletes. “I lived in Loughborough and was aware of the lack of communication [from the Athletes’ Commission]. When a decision was made I would ask around: ‘Hey, were you informed about this?’ and everyone would say: ‘No, I’ve never heard of it’. No matter where I went, people said if it weren’t for the press release we would never have known about it.

“For me it’s frustrating because the Athletes’ Commission is supposed to be the representative we elected. Once you’re elected, does that mean what you say and how you vote speaks for all of us? So that is one thing that I said early on when I was speaking to [vice-president] Emma Coburn, that no matter how big we get, we serve the athletes.”

The AA already has one success story: it carried out a survey of athletes which said 78% felt Tokyo 2020 was unsafe and wanted the Games to be postponed, pressuring the IOC into action. The Athletes’ Commission does have an advantage over the newly formed Athletics Association, in that it has tangible power in two seats on the World Athletics council. But asked whether he wants the same privileges, Taylor revealed bigger dreams than to be only one voice among many.

“If athletes are the biggest stakeholders in the sport, as World Athletics says, then how much influence are you willing to give up? A seat is important but the percentage of voting power is even more important. That is the question I want to be asking, not just to be in the room.”

Seb Coe and World Athletics recently revealed a four-year strategic plan to take the sport forwards which included aims to strengthen its relationship with athletes and to “lead by being the best example of a well-governed sports federation”. Is Taylor confident Coe is willing to cede ground to his newly formed organisation? “It’s about walking the walk. He’s the one that put out the strategic plan. OK, if these are your words, if this is what what you truly believe, walk the walk. Show us.”