The IOC has reportedly contacted the U.S. women’s hockey team about removing the Statue of Liberty from goalkeepers’ masks because the image may count as a political symbol.
According to USA Today, “discussions are ongoing” between USA Hockey and the IOC about whether goalies Nicole Hensley and Alex Rigsby will have to remove the pictures from their masks. (Maddie Rooney, who started yesterday’s 3-1 win over Finland, does not have the Statue of Liberty on her mask.)
The IOC’s rule is as follows:
No Item may feature the wording or lyrics from national anthems, motivational words, public/political messaging or slogans related to national identity.
It’s already come into play during these Olympics—South Korean goaltender Matt Dalton was asked to remove an image of sixteenth-century war hero Admiral Yi Sun-shin from his mask because it was deemed too political.