Heard on the Street: News About Beijing

News on the Olympic Scene

USOC WILL NOT BOYCOTT BEIJING GAMES OR OPENING CEREMONIES

Despite mounting pressure for countries, their athletes and their leaders to boycott or otherwise protest China for its policies toward Tibet and its relationship with Sudan, USOC Chairman Peter Ueberroth (who ran for CA governor in the 2003 recall election) has said the USOC and its athletes will neither boycott nor protest. When in 1984, the Soviet Union led a boycott of the Los Angeles Games citing concerns about the safety of Soviet athletes, China sided with the US and attended the games. China’s decision to attend the ’84 Olympics compelled other countries to do so as well, Ueberroth believes (He should know; He led the 84 organizing committee). In the end, 140 countries attended the games. The Soviet boycott is considered largely a retaliatory move in response to the US boycott of the Moscow Games in which only 80 countries competed.

Care is being taken to ensure the US does not embarrass China. The US will parade at the opening ceremonies (and without the carbon filter masks athletes are being advised to use in Beijing outside competition and the opening ceremony (see below)). Also, care is being taken to ensure individual athletes abide by a code of conduct that will proscribe overt protest while respecting freedom of speech (a delicate balancing act to be sure). The code is reportedly going to be enforced more strictly and thoroughly than ever before. (Strict blogging rules will also be in effect.) President Bush has also said he will attend the Olympics and the opening. Germany’s Merkel and France’s Sarkozy have said they will not attend the opening.

BEIJING BRIEFING

The USOC has been busy planning for the Games, with an emphasis on contingencies for almost every eventuality, including ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’ plans. It has sent 16 sea containers over to China to ensure it has proper equipment to meet athletes needs, including food needs—a major concern. Apart from the Olympic Village that houses athletes, the USOC has contracted with Normal University in Beijing to provide training, housing and eating facilities for athletes, staff and sponsors. Food in China faces less strict safety standards in the US, prompting concerns about food borne illness. As the NY Times reports, some protein has also been found to be so pumped full of steroids that athletes would test positive in anti-doping tests by WADA. So the US has contracted to have major shipments of meat and grains arrive at the training center two months before the Games.

USOC Senior Sport Physiologist Dr. Randy Wilber is recommending that athletes arrive in Beijing as close to their events as possible (Triathlon will be training in Korea and arriving just a few days before the triathlon August 18). He is also recommending use of activated carbon filtration masks when athletes are walking around and training in advance of competition. The IOC also plans to postpone endurance events—including triathlon—on smoggy days.

Dr. Wilber does believe the smog will be brought under control for the Games, but that heat and humidity could present challenges to athletes. Both are expected to be worse in China than Greece.