Women cyclists kneel in protest of Supreme Court decision at USA Cycling Championships – Knoxville News Sentinel

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The majority of women cyclists at the USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships in Knoxville took a knee during the national anthem on Friday and Sunday in protest of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Brenna Wrye-Simpson of Corvallis, Oregon (DNA Pro Cycling), Heidi Franz of Seattle (InstaFund) and Alexis Ryan of Ventura, California (L39ION of Los Angeles) spearheaded the effort, with Ryan announcing their intentions on her Instagram in the hours before Friday’s criterium. 
“(Friday) marked a monumental step backward for constitutional protection of human rights in the USA,” Wrye-Simpson told Cyclingnews. “To me, it felt wrong to line up for our national championship criterium on the very same day of the announcement and not acknowledge it.”
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A small number of cyclists chose to stand and hold their hands over their hearts during the anthem.
In a statement, USA Cycling upheld the rights of its athletes to express their views.
“During the Elite Women’s Criterium event of the 2022 USA Cycling Pro Road National Championships several athletes knelt during the singing of the national anthem in response to the Supreme Court decision in Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. USA Cycling respects athletes’ right to self-expression. We encourage media to engage with athletes directly.”
Alberto Camargo is a sports intern with the Knoxville-News Sentinel. Contact him at acamargo@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @albaretoe.

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