When two-time Olympic gold medal winner Christian Taylor watched the video of George Floyd’s death, the first thought that went through his head was: « That could’ve been me. »
For Taylor, the thought that « that could’ve been me » made the incident even more impactful to the triple-jumper.
« That is the difficult situation because when you think of what he was doing or how he was going about it, then that is not very different to me going to a store, » the 30-year-old told CNN Sport’s Amanda Davies in an Instagram Live chat.
« It was very scary because that was the first time I could really have this fear of how different are our lives and how quickly something can change or something can be taken away and what am I leaving behind. »
‘I’m hoping’
Floyd’s death has resulted in Black Lives Matter protests calling for racial equality and an end to police brutality.
Despite similar incidents in the past, Taylor insists he is « hoping » that permanent change will finally come from this.
« I want to believe that all those (past incidents) led to this moment and this was the last straw but I am also a realist and there have been catastrophic events that ultimately did not lead to change, » Taylor explained.
« We are still here in 2020. At what point will it be enough to topple things over? »
From LeBron James and Steph Curry to Raheem Sterling and Jadon Sancho, athletes from all areas of the sporting world have voiced their support for the protests.
And instead of putting barriers between people, the unifying goal of equal rights has brought people together, according to Taylor.
« To see that protests are still going on, to see that athletes are still speaking up, to see that it has actually united races, » the four-time world champion said.
« There is this wall that constantly gets put up between the races but I’m hoping and believing that it’s bringing people closer because of just the informing and education standpoint that people just simply did not know.
