Whether it is taking the knee, messages on tee-shirts, waving flags or using interview opportunities to speak out, athlete activism has been on the rise for several years now.

Sport has again been at the forefront of protests in the United States after the Supreme Court last week ruled that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion.

The timing of the announcement seemed especially poignant as it coincided with the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the landmark legislation passed to create and enforce equal opportunities in sports for women.

Billie Jean King, a 12-time Grand Slam tennis singles champion and long-time women's rights campaigner, spoke for many when she called it "a sad day in the [US]."

"The Supreme Court has struck down Roe v. Wade, which for nearly 50 years has protected the right to abortion," King wrote on Twitter. 

"This decision will not end abortion. What it will end is safe and legal access to this vital medical procedure. It is a sad day in the US."

Athletes and other high-profile women’s sports figures also took to social media to share their dismay over the ruling.

Teenage tennis star Coco Gauff, preparing for Wimbledon, wrote on Twitter that she was "incredibly disappointed by the decision made today. The sad part is this will not stop abortions from happening… this will only increase illegal and unsafe abortions. Today is a very sad day for our country and I cannot believe once again history is repeating itself."

The US former women’s football captain Megan Rapinoe, spoke at length about the controversial ruling as she prepared for her team’s friendly international against Colombia.

"I don’t know if this is happening already, but I would love to see a #metoo style viral moment for ALL THE MEN who have benefitted from abortions as well," she also wrote on Twitter. "Idk #MENTOO #ItsNotJustWomen. Open to ideas."

Sports leagues around the US, which would once have recoiled in horror at their platforms being used to protest, also issued formal statements.

"The WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) firmly believes people have the right to make their own personal decisions regarding their health," the league said in a joint statement with the National Basketball Association (NBA).

National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman spoke on behalf of her league, saying, "Reproductive rights are human rights."

Athletes Unlimited also denounced the ruling: "The Supreme Court’s decision negates the rights of women to control their own bodies, and as such is counter to Athletes Unlimited's core values."

The Premier Hockey Federation issued a statement, saying the league "supports a woman’s important and fundamental right to choose."

An illustration of how the landscape has changed was that the Ladies Professional Golf Association, who had initially declined to make a statement, expressed their widespread support for the right to vote at the state level on reproductive issues after receiving a public backlash for its silence.

Many male athletes, including LeBron James, retweeted what former US President Barack Obama wrote: "The Supreme Court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians an ideologies."

Such is the strength of feeling in the US, that many outraged by the Supreme Court have taken to social media to suggest the Fourth of July celebration, the country’s annual celebration of nationhood, should be cancelled this year.

Inevitably, there will be people wondering what any of this has to do with sport.

The fears are that this ruling could roll back some of the advances of Title IX. 

Women who participate in most sports have a narrow window to maximise their athletic potential, and these years often coincide with childbearing age.

While many athletes have managed to juggle difficult pregnancies, and the physical and financial burdens of motherhood while returning to competitive sports, others could not afford to do so. 

In her autobiography, five-time Olympic medallist Sanya Richards-Ross revealed that she got an abortion two weeks before flying to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, where she won a gold medal in the 4x400 metres relay. 

"The culmination of a lifetime of work was right before me," Richards-Ross wrote in her 2017 book Chasing Grace: What the Quarter Mile has Taught Me about God and Life. 

"In that moment, it seemed like no choice at all."

The fact a generation of social media-savvy athletes are continuing to use their voices to draw attention to topics important to them is no surprise. 

Musicians sing and write about social movements, activism and equality all the time. 

Actors voice their opinions and often personally endorse political candidates, hosting fund-raisers and throwing parties. 

So, why should athletes not be allowed to express their opinions?

We have come a long way in a short time.

It was only four years ago that a television news anchor told four-time NBA champion and double Olympic gold medallist James to "shut up and dribble" after he discussed racism, politics and the difficulties of a black public figure during an interview with ESPN.

In 2016, Rapinoe knelt in solidarity with former National Football League quarterback and racial equality advocate Colin Kaepernick. 

As a direct result of Rapinoe's actions, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) issued an edict demanding that players stand for the national anthem. 

The USSF later rowed back on this issue after the murder of George Floyd and following the deluge of protests on the courts, pitches and in the streets.

International governing bodies are often slow to move, but the impetus has come from public commentary coupled with the democratisation of social media.

Recognition that athletes have the right to speak out will reach an important landmark at next month's Commonwealth Games when competitors will be allowed to protest and make gestures related to social justice causes.

Organisers last year released a new set of principles, which permits competitors to take a knee or display a relevant symbol. 

Indigenous or Pride flags will also be allowed, allowing athletes to carry them during victory laps. 

Protests targeting specific organisations or featuring hate messages will not be permitted.

Notably, these principles represent a move away from Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter that states that "no kind of demonstration or political, religious or racial propaganda is permitted in any Olympic sites, venues or other areas".

At last year's re-arranged Olympic Games in Tokyo, however, these rules were relaxed, allowing competitors to make political statements and expressions, as long as their actions did not disrupt the event. 

Fears that every event should descend into athletes protesting about some issue proved to be unfounded.

Athlete activism is no longer the exception, it is becoming the norm. 

Whatever you think about that, there is no going back now.