Hundreds of British athletes have stepped forward and pledged to “take the knee” before they compete in the hopes that it will help them avoid getting invited to 10 Downing Street.

After seeing the England football team have a proposed invite to meet Boris Johnson rescinded because of their anti-racism stance, many other British athletes want to get in on the act.

Over 200 British athletes from dozens of sports have said they will “take the knee” in a symbolic gesture against racism if it means avoiding a trip to 10 Downing Street.

“I always get nervous before a big event,” heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson told us. “It’s not the event that scares me, it’s the thought I might win and have to visit Boris Johnson at 10 Downing Street. Can you imagine what a waste of an evening that’d be? It creeps me out every time I think about it.

“That’s why I’ll be taking the knee so I can get those negative thoughts out of my mind before I race. Boris and Priti won’t want to give me the time of day when they see I don’t support their world views.”

Scotland as an entire nation has also warned Boris that it will be taking the knee at all times, so he’s better off never visiting up there.