Choosing to protest at a sporting event has often been employed by athletes as a way to show solidarity with a cause.

Just last year, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refused to stand during the singing of the USA’s national anthem.

Long before that, in 1906, Irish long jumper Peter O’Connor scaled the flagpole and waved the Irish flag himself, while fellow countryman Con Leahy guarded him at the foot of the pole.

In Kaepernick’s instance, he was protesting the way the country oppresses black people and people of colour while O’Connor, an Irishman, refused to represent Britain as a whole.

On Sunday, it was professional master swimmer Fernando Alvarez’ turn.

He had asked officials if they could conduct a minute’s silence before the race to honour victims of last week’s terrorist attacks in Barcelona, reports News AU.

The Spaniard’s request was denied after reportedly being told that the FINA Masters World Championships in Budapest “couldn’t spare a minute”.

So Alvarez conducted the tribute on his own, forfeiting a potential win:

As his opponents dived into the water to begin the 200m breaststroke event, Alvarez stayed put, floating on the lane divider for 60 seconds before competing.

His time wasn’t recorded by officials, but Alvarez said he wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

“I started a minute late,” he told Spanish media. “But that doesn’t matter. What I was feeling was more than if I had won all of the gold medals in the world.”

Watch the tribute below:

You can only show respect for such an action.

[source:newsau]