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  • 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

    IOC suspends North Korea from Beijing Olympics

    The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that it has suspended North Korea from the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics after the country chose not to participate in this year's Tokyo Games due to the pandemic.

    Why it matters: Although the decision will have "little immediate impact," it could prove consequential in shaping other political boycotts of future Olympic games, the Wall Street Journal noted.


    North Korea will now forfeit the sum of money, potentially worth millions of dollars, according to the Associated Press, it was due from previous Olympics. That money had been withheld due to international sanctions, according to the IOC.

    The country will also not be entitled to any IOC assistance during the period of suspension.

    The big picture: In refusing to send a team to the Tokyo Games, North Korea's National Olympic Committee (NOC) failed to fulfill one of its "fundamental duties and obligations," as outlined in the Olympic charter, according to the press release.

    Each NOC is required to participate in the games by sending athletes, but North Korea was the only country that did not participate in the 2020 Olympics, per the IOC.

    The Olympics' governing body said it made repeated attempts to allay North Korea's safety concerns and warn of the consequences of not participating.

    Although North Korea will be suspended from the Games until the end of 2022, the IOC did not rule out the possibility of North Korean athletes competing in Beijing.

    Athletes who qualify may be allowed to participate, though a definitive decision will be made at a later date, the press release noted.

    The IOC executive board can also reconsider the length of the suspension.

    Of note: Some U.S. lawmakers have joined activists and Chinese ethnic minorities in calling on the IOC to move or postpone the Beijing Games unless the Chinese government ends its Uyghur genocide.

    https://www.axios.com/ioc-suspend-no...e3b9993a9.html

    Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

  • #2
    U.S. Athletes Trying To Make Winter Olympics Will Have To Be Vaccinated From COVID-19

    U.S. athletes trying to make the Winter Olympics will have to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 under a groundbreaking new policy announced Wednesday by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

    CEO Sarah Hirshland wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press that, starting Nov. 1, the USOPC will require staff, athletes and others utilizing training centers and other USOPC facilities to be vaccinated.

    The requirement, she said, “will also apply to our full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

    According to the team website, athletes will have to show proof of vaccination by Dec. 1. The U.S. is expected to send around 240 athletes to the Winter Olympics, though the mandate will impact hundreds more — anyone with hopes of making the final squad.: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/winte...b03d83bad0033b


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    • #3
      ^Good idea and hope all others will follow
      Keep your friends close and your enemies closer

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      • #4
        2022 Beijing Olympics to ban foreign spectators

        No international fans will be allowed to attend the Beijing 2022 winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Wednesday.

        The IOC said the organizers of the Olympics delivered during a meeting a list of principles they intended to follow in an effort to keep the event “safe and successful” and on schedule. That includes only selling tickets for the Beijing 2022 Olympics to fans living in mainland China.

        “The IOC and [International Paralympic Committee] welcome the decision to allow for the sale of tickets to spectators residing in China’s mainland. This will facilitate the growth of winter sports in China by giving those spectators a first-hand Olympic and Paralympic experience of elite winter sports, as well as bringing a favourable atmosphere to the venues,” the IOC said in a statement.

        “However, all parties feel for the athletes and the spectators from around the world, knowing that the restriction on spectators from outside mainland China had to be put in place in order to ensure the safe holding of the Games this winter,” the IOC added.

        The IOC also announced that athletes that arrived in China who were not already vaccinated would have to quarantine for 21 days after entering the country, but the committee noted that they would consider those who had “a justified medical exemption.”

        Additionally, both Chinese and international athletes participating in the winter Olympics will have to undergo daily COVID-19 testing.

        Though the Olympics are not slated to start until Feb. 4, 2022, the announcement comes as the international organizations are already investigating the best ways to keep both athletes, staff and domestic residents safe from a possible COVID-19 surge.

        It is a task that Japanese officials struggled with during their Olympics this summer as the country saw new waves of COVID-19 cases, including athletes who arrived into the country who had tested positive for the virus.

        Tokyo reported a surge of COVID-19 cases before, during and even after the Olympics ended, often hitting new COVID-19 infection records. After the Tokyo Olympics, the city reported a record of 5,773 COVID-19 cases in mid-August.: https://thehill.com/policy/internati...ign-spectators



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        • #5
          Two Americans detained by police in Greece for protesting Beijing Olympics


          Two Americans were detained by police in Greece on Sunday after they staged a protest against the Beijing Winter Olympics, The Associated Press reported.

          Two activists waved a Tibetan flag and a banner proclaiming “Free Hong Kong Revolution” and yelled “Free Tibet” and “Boycott Beijing 2022” while atop the Acropolis in Athens. The demonstration comes just days before the Beijing 2022 Committee will be handed the Olympic torch in Greece, advocacy group Students for a Free Tibet said in a statement.

          The group noted that more than 20 police officers appeared on the scene within minutes, which immediately ended the protest. Students for a Free Tibet noted that a formal arrest had not been made.

          The group said that the activists are part of a larger group protesting the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision to allow the Olympics to remain in China, saying in a statement that “the IOC has repeatedly ignored the evidence of the egregious human rights abuses by China including a genocide of the Uyghur people, the brutal and illegal occupation of Tibet, and the severe and worsening crackdown against freedom and democracy in Hong Kong.”: https://thehill.com/policy/internati...esting-beijing - https://www.scmp.com/news/china/dipl...test-eve-torch




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          • #6
            Olympic flame arrives in China ahead of 2022 Beijing Games


            The Olympic flame arrived in China early Wednesday for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games, state media reported, following a ceremony in Athens overshadowed by protests over China's human rights record.

            Beijing is set to become the first host of a Summer and Winter Games, but preparations have been marked by calls for a boycott over China's rights record, especially the fate of its Uyghur minority.

            Beijing is set to hold a welcome ceremony for the flame at 10am (0200 GMT) at the capital's Olympic Tower, where it will go on display to the public before setting off on an exhibition tour.

            Around 2,900 athletes, representing approximately 85 National Olympic Committees, will compete in the Winter Games between 4 and 20 February 2022.

            The flame was lit in Athens on Monday and transferred the following day to the organisers of the Beijing Games.

            The event was held in front of a limited audience because of the coronavirus, and in a break with tradition, there was no torch relay on Greek soil.

            Activists grabbed the spotlight at the lighting ceremony on Monday, unfurling a Tibetan flag and a banner that read "no genocide" before Greek police intervened.

            A similar protest was held at the Acropolis in Athens on Sunday.

            When Beijing hosted the 2008 Games, the relay was repeatedly disrupted by protesters in Europe and North America.

            Beijing 2022 organisers have released few details of what they plan, but the International Olympic Committee has said the flame will go on display to the public at the tower, "before setting off on a flame exhibition tour".

            "Closer to the Games, a traditional Olympic torch relay will be held," the IOC said this week, with the Games just over 100 days away.

            CALLS TO POSTPONE

            Protesters urged the IOC to postpone the Games, arguing that China was perpetrating "genocide" against Uyghurs and Tibetans.

            Activists accuse the IOC of turning a blind eye to what they say is a litany of abuses in China, notably over Tibet, its treatment of Muslim minorities in the region of Xinjiang and its clampdown in Hong Kong.

            Rights groups say more than one million Uyghurs and other minorities in Xinjiang have been held in camps in recent years, their rights to worship and freedoms heavily curtailed by Chinese authorities.

            Republicans in the United States have called for an outright boycott of the Games and Washington has described the treatment of China's Uyghurs as "genocide".

            After initially denying the existence of the Xinjiang camps, China later defended them as vocational training centres aimed at reducing the appeal of Islamic extremism.

            IOC chairman Thomas Bach has batted off talk of a potential boycott, claiming the International Olympic Committee's political neutrality and saying it was up to governments to live up to their responsibilities.

            A victim of the 1980 Moscow Games boycott, the former fencer has said such moves only punish athletes, and insists the IOC is addressing the rights issue "within our remit".

            "In these difficult times we are still living through, the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 will be an important moment to bring the world together in a spirit of peace, friendship and solidarity," Bach said on Monday.: https://supersport.com/olympics/news...g_Games_Xinhua


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            • #7
              Unvaccinated Olympians to undergo three-week quarantine in Beijing

              The International Olympic committee will require a three-week quarantine period for all unvaccinated athletes and staff attending the upcoming Beijing Winter Olympics, according to “playbooks” released Monday.

              Full vaccination is required 14 days prior to departure in Beijing, and regular testing will take place regardless of one’s vaccination status.

              “We want everyone at the Games to be safe, that’s why we’re asking all participants to follow these guidelines,” Christophe Dubi, IOC's olympic games executive director, said in a release.

              “Keeping everyone healthy will ensure the focus remains on the very fundamentals of the Olympic and Paralympic Games – the athletes and the sport.”

              The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee announced in September athletes competing for a spot at the Beijing Winter Olympics must be fully vaccinated.

              Under the rule, full vaccination status is required for athletes and staff who use USOPC training facilities starting Nov. 1, and the rule “will also apply to our full Team USA delegation at future Olympic and Paralympic Games,” CEO Sarah Hirshland wrote in a letter obtained by The Associated Press.

              “The stark reality is that this pandemic is far from over,” Hirshland added. “This step will increase our ability to create a safe and productive environment for Team USA athletes and staff, and allow us to restore consistency in planning, preparation and service to athletes.”

              Team USA’s website states that as of Dec. 1, 2021, all “delegation members and hopefuls for future Games will need to submit documentation of their full vaccination, or be granted an exemption as a condition of participation.”: https://thehill.com/changing-america...undergo-3-week


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              • #8
                Xi is expected to invite Biden to the Beijing Winter Olympics

                As the United States and China continue discussions on a virtual summit to be held between the countries’ two leaders next week, one thorny topic looms large: the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

                President Xi Jinping of China is expected to use the discussion, expected next week, to extend a personal invitation to U.S. President Joe Biden to attend the events in Beijing in February, said two people familiar with the matter.

                The invitation would serve as a challenge to Biden to decline and put the relationship on ice; or accept and contradict his administration’s own messaging on democracy and human rights.

                The White House and National Security Council declined to comment on how the president would respond to such an invitation. Karine Jean-Pierre, White House principal deputy press secretary, previously said staff were working out details of the summit, which was focused on managing the countries’ competition, not on “deliverables.”

                Further complicating the issue: Group of Seven, or G-7, nations are still discussing a possible “diplomatic boycott” of the games, where athletes would participate but heads of state would not attend, according to two Western diplomats.

                A joint decision has not yet been made on government attendance, these officials said.

                Activists have called for a global boycott of what they’ve labeled the “Genocide Games” and urged the International Olympic Committee to postpone or relocate the events, citing China’s human rights abuses against the Uyghur population.

                The State Department has condemned the “mass detention and political indoctrination campaign” against China’s ethnic minority, which it estimates are engaged in forced labor in some 1,200 “state-run internment camps.”

                “In Xinjiang, the government is the trafficker,” the agency said in a July factsheet.

                In April, State Department spokesman Ned Price said a coordinated boycott is “something we certainly wish to discuss” with allies. The department later walked back the comments, suggesting it is not discussing a full boycott of the Games.

                But dissension has continued to simmer. A group of U.S. senators, led by Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, have proposed to exclude funding for government travel to the Games in an upcoming defense spending bill. And at the G-20 summit in Rome, the U.S. and Canada blocked language praising the upcoming Beijing Games from inclusion in the joint statement, according to Politico.

                Reached for comment about the administration’s current posture on the boycott, a spokesman for the State Department referred CNBC to comments made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken at The New York Times DealBook Summit.

                “This is the most complex and consequential relationship we have,” Blinken told Andrew Ross Sorkin.: https://www.cnbc.com/2021/11/11/joe-...oom-large.html


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                • #9
                  China's hockey team in for rude awakening at Beijing Games, warn coaches

                  China should brace for a string of blowout losses at the 2022 Beijing Olympic men's ice hockey tournament unless the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) steps in and throws the hosts a lifeline, warned two international coaches.

                  Dave King, one of the most respected names in international hockey who was head coach of the Canadian men's national team for three Olympics and worked with Japan to prepare them for the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, told Reuters scores could be "scary" with China in a group alongside powerhouses Canada and the United States.

                  Jim Paek, who coached and prepared South Korea for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Games, voiced similar concerns particularly with the world's top player returning to the Olympics stage after the NHL sat out the showcase four years ago.

                  "When you have host countries that are allowed to automatically qualify this is what you get," warned King, who has also coached in the NHL, Russia, Sweden and Germany. "What is very important is to have a plan and stay with it and I don't think the Chinese did a very good job with that, they have been all over the map.

                  "To me there is nothing a coach can do at this point, there is no magic wand.

                  "It's scary, it really is. They are in way over their head for sure."

                  As the host nation, China is guaranteed a spot in every event at the 2022 Games but IIHF president Luc Tardif said in September that the men's team could be prevented from playing due to its "insufficient sporting standard.": https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl...pics-1.6242785

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                  • #10
                    Biden says WH is considering diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

                    President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the U.S. was weighing a diplomatic boycott of the coming Winter Olympics in Beijing, a move that proponents say would be a highly visible rebuke of the Chinese government and its human rights record.

                    Biden told reporters convened for the president’s trilateral meeting with the leaders of Canada and Mexico that the idea of a boycott was “something we are considering.”

                    There is bipartisan support in Congress and from outside groups to slight China by barring U.S. officials from attending the games in protest of the government’s human rights abuses, including what the Biden administration has labeled the genocide of religious minorities in Xinjiang.

                    The issue has gotten increased attention in the days surrounding Biden’s virtual meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this week. The two spoke to each other for roughly 3½ hours on Monday about a host of topics, including human rights and the two countries’ positions on Taiwan.

                    However, key congressional leaders are not yet on board with the idea, and Biden’s comments on Thursday did not give much insight into which direction the White House was leaning.

                    White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to get into more specifics about what options are under consideration, but said that “there’s a range of factors as we look at what our presence would be.”

                    “I want to leave the president space to make decisions,” she said in a briefing to reporters.

                    Still, the remarks were clearer than the answer he gave two days prior as he headed aboard Air Force One on the way back from a trip to New Hampshire to promote the recently signed infrastructure legislation.

                    When asked on Tuesday whether there would be a government delegation to the Olympics, Biden responded, “I’m the delegation, and I dealt with it.”

                    The White House subsequently clarified that Biden’s comments did not indicate a change to the administration’s position on the issue.

                    The president did not attend this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo, which were pushed back a year because of the coronavirus pandemic, but the U.S. did send a delegation that was headed up by first lady Jill Biden.: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/1...lympics-522974


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                    • #11
                      Peng Shuai: Doubt cast on email from Chinese tennis star


                      The head of the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has cast doubt on an email released by Chinese state media attributed to tennis player Peng Shuai.

                      The tennis star has not been heard from since she made sexual assault allegations against a top Chinese government official two weeks ago.

                      In the email, Ms Peng purportedly says the allegations are "not true".

                      Steve Simon, chairman of the WTA, said the message "only raises" his concerns about Ms Peng's safety.

                      "I have a hard time believing that Peng Shuai actually wrote the email we received or believes what is being attributed to her," he said in a statement.

                      Rights group Amnesty also said the words "should not be taken at face value" but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it favoured "quiet diplomacy" and would not comment.

                      Written in her voice and published by the broadcaster CGTN, the email claims she is not missing or unsafe, adding: "I've just been resting at home and everything is fine."

                      Ms Peng - a former number one-ranked tennis doubles player - had not been heard from since posting an allegation about former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli on Chinese social media site Weibo in early November.

                      She alleged she was "forced" into sexual relations with Mr Zhang - who served as the country's vice-premier between 2013 and 2018 - in a post that was later taken down. She has not been seen or heard from publicly since.

                      The WTA and leading voices from the world of tennis have increasingly spoken out about Ms Peng since.

                      On Thursday, the spokesman for China's foreign ministry did not give further details about the situation when asked by reporters.

                      "This is not a foreign affairs matter," Zhao Lijian said. "And I am not aware of the relevant situation you mentioned."

                      Former women's world number one and 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams said news of Ms Peng's disappearance had left her "devastated and shocked".

                      "I hope she is safe and found as soon as possible. This must be investigated and we must not stay silent," she added in a tweet.

                      Earlier this week, world number one male tennis player Novak Djokovic said he hoped Ms Peng was OK, adding that he was shocked, while Naomi Osaka also voiced concerns about her whereabouts. More tennis players and social media users have since posted under the hashtag #WhereIsPengShuai.

                      "The WTA and the rest of the world need independent and verifiable proof that she is safe," WTA chair Steve Simon said on Wednesday.

                      He also reiterated that her sexual assault allegation must be investigated "with full transparency and without censorship".

                      "The voices of women need to be heard and respected, not censored nor dictated to," he added.

                      Mr Simon's comments were echoed by Amnesty.

                      "China's state media has a track record of forcing statements out of individuals under duress, or else simply fabricating them," said Amnesty's China researcher, Doriane Lau.

                      "These concerns will not go away unless Peng's safety and whereabouts are confirmed."

                      Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee said in a brief statement that "experience shows that quiet diplomacy offers the best opportunity to find a solution for questions of such nature".

                      "This explains why the IOC will not comment any further at this stage," it said. Beijing is due to host the Winter Olympics in February.: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59325399 - https://twitter.com/hashtag/whereispengshuai


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                      • #12
                        Missing Chinese tennis star tells Olympic Committee she's safe and well

                        The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said that missing Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai confirmed to them that she is safe and well in a video call.

                        In a statement Sunday, the committee confirmed that Peng had a 30-minute conversation with IOC President Thomas Bach, the IOC Athletes’ Commission president Emma Terho and committee member Li Lingwei.

                        In a video call, Peng thanked the committee for their concern about her well-being, saying she is currently living in Beijing and asking the committee for her privacy at this time.

                        The committee said that Peng accepted a dinner invitation with the Olympic officials when IOC President Thomas Bach visits Beijing in January.

                        “I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern. She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated,” Tehro said in the statement.

                        Peng, a former No.1 player in the world, was reported missing after writing in a now-deleted social media post earlier this month accusing the former vice president Zhang Gaoli of forcing her to have sex with him despite repeated refusals following a round of tennis.

                        The U.S., Great Britain, and France have called on China to provide proof of Peng’s whereabouts, according to Reuters.

                        Tennis stars including Serena Williams, Noami Osaka, Bille Jean King, and Novak Djokovic have also used their platforms to call on the whereabouts of Peng, Reuters reported.

                        Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin posted to Twitter Sunday showing Peng visiting a restaurant in Beijing with family and friends.

                        “I acquired two video clips, which show Peng Shuai was having dinner with her coach and friends in a restaurant. The video content clearly shows they are shot on Saturday Beijing time,” Xijin said in his post.: https://thehill.com/policy/internati...mpic-committee

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                        • #13
                          U.S. expected to announce diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing

                          The Biden administration is expected to announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing this week, a senior administration official said late Sunday.

                          A diplomatic boycott would mean that no U.S. government officials would attend the games but that U.S. athletes would still be allowed to compete.

                          A full boycott was not expected.

                          CNN first reported the news of the expected announcement.

                          The Biden administration has been under pressure from lawmakers to institute the diplomatic boycott. They have wanted to take a stand against China’s human rights abuses.

                          President Joe Biden said last month that the administration was considering the move.

                          China has been criticized for cracking down on pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, for its policies toward Tibet and Taiwan, and for detaining and abusing Muslim Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

                          The State Department, along with some European countries, has classified China's actions against Uyghurs as "genocide."

                          "We have serious concerns about the human rights abuses that we’ve seen," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said last month.

                          Chinese government officials have warned of a "robust Chinese response" should the U.S. or other countries launch boycotts.: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/whi...unced-rcna7691

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                          • #14
                            The XXIV Olympic Winter Games is scheduled to open on Friday, February 4, 2022 and close on Sunday, February 20. [34] The Beijing Winter Olympics has 7 major events, 15 sub-events, and 109 minor events. Beijing competition area undertakes all ice events; Yanqing competition area undertakes snowmobile, sled and alpine skiing; Chongli area of Zhangjiakou competition area undertakes all snow sports except snowmobile, sled and alpine skiing

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                            • #15
                              U.S. expected to announce diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing

                              The Biden administration is expected to announce a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing this week, a senior administration official said late Sunday.

                              A diplomatic boycott would mean that no U.S. government officials would attend the games but that U.S. athletes would still be allowed to compete.

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