The International Olympic Committee is remaining firm in their decision to ban the athletes from wearing the Sarah Burke memorial stickers during the Olympic games.

Burke, a Canadian freestyle skier, was killed two years ago, in January 2012, after sustaining injuries while training, in Park City, Utah. Since then, fellow athletes have been mourning her death, and wanted to wear a sticker on their helmets to honor their fallen friend.

However, the IOC made the decision to ban the stickers, saying that they do not allow “political statements” to be made during competitions. IOC spokesman Mark Adams addressed the issue, on Monday, saying that they understand that she should be remembered, but they did not feel that this was the appropriate time or place to do so.

“She really needs to be well remembered, I think, and absolutely, we want to help the athletes to remember her in some way and there are all sorts of things we can do,” Adams said. “From our side we would say that the competitions themselves, which are a place of celebration, are probably not the right place to really do that and we like to keep that separate.”

Adams suggested that the athletes put together some kind of commemoration, and offered to allow them hold the commemoration at the Multi Faith Centre. “For us it is a question of what is appropriate and where would be the best place,” Adams explained. “As I say, we are very keen to help people who want to have a remembrance or do something and to do that in what would be the appropriate place.”

Several athletes are not satisfied with the alternative option, and have taken to their social media accounts to voice their infuriation.

“I ride with a Sarah sticker on my snowboard and helmet always,” Torah Bright, an Australian snow boarder, wrote in a post on Instagram. “The IOC however, considers Sarah stickers ‘a political statement’ and have banned them. WOW. Sarah is a beautiful, talented, powerful women, whose spirit inspires me still. She is a big reason why skier pipe/slope are now Olympic events.”

Do you think the memorial stickers should be allowed? Leave your comments below.

Image via Wikimedia Commons