Costa Rican gymnast Luciana Alvarado offered a tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement at the conclusion of her floor routine Sunday at the Tokyo Olympics, NBC News reported.
What did she do?
Alvarado — the first gymnast from her country to qualify for the Olympic Games, the network said — took a knee, tilted her head back, placed her left hand behind her, and raised her right fist.
More from NBC News:
The 18-year-old's demonstration is the first of its kind on an international stage in elite gymnastics, according to NBC Olympics. Alvarado said the end of her routine was choreographed to highlight the importance of equal rights on a global stage, as she told The Associated Press after performing the move.
"Because we're all the same," she said, according to the network, "and we're all beautiful and amazing."
Alvarado also noted that she hoped to do "something that brings everyone together" in order to bolster the importance of treating everyone with dignity and respect and recognizing everyone has the same rights, NBC News said.
How are folks reacting?
The network said although Alvarado's 12.166 score didn't push her into the finals, observers have been lauding her online for her BLM tribute:
- "Costa Rica should be so proud!" one commenter noted. "She deserves her own Gold Medal for courage and bravery!"
- "Special shout out to #LucianaAlvarado," another user said. "She is a breath of fresh air."
- "WE ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO SEE IT," another commenter declared.
- "Luciana Alvarado you are wonderful," another user said.
- "AHHHH Luciana Alvarado is fantastic," another commenter wrote. "This is the first time I've seen her compete, and I just instantly became a big fan."
- "I cannot help but feel proud," another user noted in Spanish, NBC News said. "Congratulations #LucianaAlvarado, who has moved us with her final #blacklivesmatter."
