China Ping!
Anyone remember 1968?
First you win the gold medal, then you protest. Either they strip you of the medal, or they don’t. Either way, it works.
It’s time to inform countries that agree to host the Olympics that, as a condition of being given that honor, they will not be allowed to deny entry to any athletes who have been approved by the IOC (on pain of having the Olympics in their country cancelled.)
If the Chinese treat their people so wonderfully, why do they need a compact to stop free speech?
Prince Charles has already let it be known that he will not be going to China, even if he is invited by Games organisers.
On the other hand, though, if I could count anyone out it would be dear ol' Charlie, although he finally managed to do one thing right in his life - even if he did it for the Dalai Lama.
Ain’t interdependence and globalism grand, along with the new religion of multiculturalism.
>>[b]Yesterday the British Olympic Association (BOA) confirmed to The Mail on Sunday that any athlete who refuses to sign the agreements will not be allowed to travel to Beijing. [/b]
They’ve been on a downward spiral. We have our own problems here BUT I expect more from them.
WHO’S MORE COMMIE? BOA or China?
The bRit Olympic Association FORCES their athletes to sign OR China who FORCES people to follow their govt?
No difference here. They’re both dictatorial. Poor Brits.
All countries, either individually or collectively, should tell China, “We will NOT sign any such agreements!”
Then if that country’s athletes aren’t allowed to compete, China will be responsible for destroying the event.
Ball-less Brits.
What’s new?
I’m willing to predict that the Olympics are going to be a debacle once everyone from all participating nations arrive on the ground and start behaving “normally,” driving the Red Chinese secret police to overreact and either arrest or beat up some team member or visiting spectator. The ChiComs just can’t help themselves...
Anyone know what the USOC’s position is on this? I haven’t been able to find anything.
This is strange. Isn’t it the muslims the brits usually grovel to?
So an entire country is ‘humiliated’ because of the decision taken by an athletic board?...
Does the baseball steroid abuse make America a joke then?.
It is in the Olympic charter that athletes must not indulge in politics. The British decision is merely enforcing this.
Anyway, given various scandals, the vast majority of British people dont respect British athletes as they did in the clean days of Coe, Ovett, Cram, Daley Thompson, Allan Wells...
Ya learn something every day. I had to see it, so here it is.
Welcome back tk! PING
“For our athletes to be told that they may not make any comment makes a mockery of our own country’s belief in free speech.”
There is nothing wrong with reminding the athletes that they are going for an athletic competition, not going as political commentators.
However, if China (or any other host nation) were to require that of the visiting participants, that is quite another and intolerable.
And are the US athletes being made to sign anything?
Any American that signs this should just go there and not come back.
BTW is this the first time this ever happened?