Stojko: Olympians Should Consider Boycott
As a Canadian, I love Elvis Stojko. Okay, in all honesty, there were times when I bordered on obsessed with him. I loved his Bruce Lee-themed figure skating routine set to the “Dragon” soundtrack. I loved that at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan he battled a groin injury, pinched nerve and the flu to come back and win the silver medal. I love the fact that he was the first person to land a quadruple jump in combination.
What I’m not so crazy about is that he is now saying that athletes should think twice before attending the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. The two-time Olympic medallist says Canadian athletes should “make a stand” for human rights. He also said that if he were still competing, he would consider boycotting the Games (he’s saying that now that his two medals are comfortably tucked away someplace safe). “I know for me, it would be extremely difficult to be able to go compete in a country that was hosting the games, but don’t exemplify what the games are being held for,” Stojko told The Canadian Press.
“People should know what’s going on and athletes have a chance to be able to do that if they wish,” said Stojko, who added China’s treatment of its people is dragging “negative energy” into the world tournament.
Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, has confirmed that he will not attend the opening ceremonies but, so far, Canada has rejected the idea of boycotting the Olympics.
Here’s my problem. There was plenty of time to protest back when China was nothing more than a potential host city. These Games have been in the works for YEARS and if there was going to be a problem, why not begin the demonstrations before millions of dollars went into building these venues? Why not do it in time for another country to be chosen? Why wait until just months before the Games to start complaining? It’s colossally unfair even if they are right about China - everything has been built and the athletes have prepared.
What do you think? Should the athletes boycott the Games?
image provided by Newscom
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POSTED IN: Beijing 2008, Olympians
3 opinions for Stojko: Olympians Should Consider Boycott
Mike
May 19, 2008 at 8:59 am
Do you think he would have boycotted the games because they were in China? I don’t think so. It is easy to make these statements when you have already won your medals and sitting on the sidelines.
Jeanne
May 19, 2008 at 12:11 pm
I agree. It’s so much easier to put the shoe on the other foot. I doubt very highly that he would have skipped out of the Olympics.
Jigme
May 20, 2008 at 1:45 am
But there were many protests before Beijing was awarded the Olympics, when they were only a potential host city?
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