She was reprimanded by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee for raising her fist on the medal podium at the 2019 Pan American Games to protest social and racial injustice. But, feeling frustrated, she sought to gain eligibility to compete in a fifth Olympics for the United States instead of her native Poland. Athletes must generally wait three years after switching countries to become eligible to compete in the Olympics, unless they are granted a waiver. In January 2019, the Polish fencing federation granted Shelton a release to change sporting nationalities and to compete for the United States. The matter seemed settled, except for final approval from the Polish Olympic Committee, which said it would support Shelton’s change of nationality but then changed its mind as the case went sideways.

Source: International New York Times October 14, 2020 23:15 UTC