Gwen Berry, who turned her back on US flag in trials, FAILS to win a medal in hammer throw at Tokyo Olympics as critics say: 'Now we can root for people who want to be a part of Team USA'

Controversial American hammer thrower Gwen Berry failed to win a medal in the finals of the Tokyo Games on Tuesday, much to the delight of her conservative critics.

'Now we can get back to rooting for people who actually want to be part of Team USA,' one critic tweeted about Berry, who drew criticism in June by turning away from the American flag on the podium during the national anthem at the US Olympic trials.

On Tuesday, the 32-year-old finished 11th out of 12 with a distance of 71.35 meters while Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk cruised to her third straight Olympic gold medal with a toss of 78.48. 

'Karma,' wrote another critic. 'Canceled: Anthem-Protester Gwen Berry Fails to Medal at Olympics.'  

Controversial American hammer thrower Gwen Berry failed to medal in the finals of the Tokyo Games on Tuesday, much to the delight of her conservative critics

Berry  drew criticism in June by turning away from the American flag on the podium during the national anthem at the US Olympic trials

Berry's critics rejoiced after she finished 11th out of 12 in the hammer throw finals in Tokyo 

One critic referenced the US women's soccer team loss to rival Canada while slamming Berry

Berry's disappointing performance was instantly seized upon by conservatives.

'Shout out to self-proclaimed 'activist athlete' @MzBerryThrows for coming in 11th place and failing to win a medal at the Olympics after turning her back on the American flag during qualifying in June!' tweeted YouTuber Damani Felder. 'Well deserved!

'Good, another loser lost,' tweeted John Cardillo, a self-described former New York police officer and 'TV guy.'

'Gwen Berry doesn't medal at all, finishing 11th of 12 in finals, and the women's soccer team is bounced down to Bronze medal game,' wrote another critic, referencing the US women's soccer team loss to rival Canada in the Olympic semifinals. 'I'm having a great week.' 

Berry throws the hammer Tuesday in Tokyo

Despite her defeat, Berry seemed unbothered by the social media criticism.

'Dudes sit around and attacking a black woman like this,' Academy of Art track coach Lamont Johnson wrote on Twitter. 'I will never understand how these 'men' can call themselves men.'

'It's weird,' Berry responded. 'I must hurt their ego.'

When asked about her critics by another fan, Berry responded: 'Man they on the couch watching me hahahaha weirdos.'

Berry previously drew criticism at the 2019 Pan American Games for raising her first during The Star-Spangled Banner — a song she recently described as racist.

'If you know your history, you know the full song of the national anthem,' Berry told the Black News Channel. 'The third paragraph speaks to slaves in America — our blood being slain … all over the floor. 

The rarely sung third verse of Francis Scott Key's famous poem includes the line: 'No refuge could save the hireling and slave from the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.'

Berry holds up a t-shirt reading 'Activist Athlete' at the Olympic trials in Oregon back in June

One critic seized upon Berry's decision to refer to herself as an 'activist athlete' 

Despite her defeat, Berry seemed unbothered by the social media criticism

According to American academic and author Jason Johnson, Key's use of 'hireling and slave' is a reference to the Colonial Marines, which were two units of freed slaves enlisted by the British to fight the United States during the War of 1812 (1812-1815).

The Colonial Marines and British troops had just recently defeated Key, an American lieutenant and slave owner, at the battle of Bladensburg in 1814 weeks before he wrote 'The Star-Spangled Banner.'

As Johnson wrote for The Root in 2016, Key's lesser-known third stanza was aimed at the former slaves who routed his troops.

'Key was saying that the blood of all the former slaves and 'hirelings' on the battlefield will wash away the pollution of the British invaders,' Johnson wrote. 'With Key still bitter that some black soldiers got the best of him a few weeks earlier, 'The Star-Spangled Banner' is as much a patriotic song as it is a diss track to black people who had the audacity to fight for their freedom.

'Perhaps that's why it took almost 100 years for the song to become the national anthem.'

NEXT UP GWEN BERRY? SCHOOL

Berry plans on attending Tennessee State

The stage was all hers, so Gwen Berry pounded on her chest and extended her right fist after she was introduced for the hammer throw final at the Olympics.

The meaning behind the gesture remained the same: To highlight social and racial inequities.

There will be no podium, though, to send her message to an even wider audience. She placed 11th at the Tokyo Games on Tuesday night.

That's it - for now.

'I'm just here to represent, man,' Berry said. 'I know a lot of people like me, a lot of athletes like me, a lot of people are scared to succeed, a lot of people scared to speak out. So as long as I can represent those people, I'm fine.'

Next stop for the Berry family - school.

She and her son have been offered scholarships to Tennessee State University, which is part of the list of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. She plans to get her masters in philanthropy or economics with a vision toward implementing change.

'I want to make sure these companies and these corporations respect their Black co-workers,' she said. 'I want to make sure these kids are making good decisions. I want to make sure they don't have any trauma going into the real world and know how to deal with it.'

Gwen Berry is seen during her disappointing performance in Tokyo on Tuesday 

She's been front and center with her message in the lead-up to the Tokyo Games. She turned away from the flag when the national anthem played while she was on the medals stand at the Olympic trials last month.

It garnered a lot of attention. She knows that as a result many were rooting against her.

'Those people can't step on this stage. Those people have not sacrificed anything to be here. I did,' the 32-year-old Berry said. 'So all those people that are happy I failed, that's cool, but they're sitting on their couch watching me. So what does that tell you about them?'

Gwen Berry, of United States, competes in the women's hammer throw at the 2020 Summer Olympics on Sunday 

Berry threw her full support behind her friend, Raven Saunders, the silver medalist in the shot put who made a small demonstration on the medal stand. Saunders lifted her arms above her head and formed an 'X' with her wrists.

Asked by The Associated Press what that meant, she explained: 'It's the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet.'

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said her gesture was respectful of her competitors and didn't violate the organization's rules. Berry's hoping there's no blowback from the International Olympic Committee.

'I feel like she should not be punished,' Berry said. 'I hope the USOPC supports her, fights for her so that she keeps her medal and she's supported.'

Berry laughed when she was asked if there's any chance she'll be back for the 2024 Paris Games.

'I'm tired, man. I'm tired of being away from my family,' Berry said. 'I'm tired of sacrificing for this sport that don't pay us.

'We'll see. I'm going to help my people. That's what I'm doing first. I'm more than an athlete. I'm more than this sport. I'm just different now. I'm a different person now.'

- The Associated Press