Gwendolyn Berry knew what to expect after she placed third in the hammer throw. ⁠ ⁠ There's a certain routine for the top-three finishers in an event at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials. They're handed an American flag and a bouquet of flowers. They stand on the podium. They take some pictures. Then they take a victory lap around Hayward Field.⁠ ⁠ But Berry did not expect that, as she stood on the podium before taking pictures, organizers would play "The Star-Spangled Banner."⁠ ⁠ "I feel like it was a setup. I feel like they did that on purpose," Berry said. "And I was pissed, to be honest."⁠ ⁠ Berry, 31, has previously protested while on the podium at an international sporting event and become a strong advocate of athletes using their platforms to speak about issues that matter to them. As the national anthem played, Berry turned away from the American flag toward the southern seats at Hayward Field. Then, she draped a T-shirt that read "Activist Athlete" over her head.⁠ ⁠ "It was funny because they said they were going to play (the anthem) before we actually walked out, and then it just so happened that they played it when we were out there," Berry said. "So, you know, it's OK. I really don't want to talk about the anthem because that's not important. The anthem don't speak for me. It never has."⁠ ⁠ Photos by Patrick Smith via @gettyimages