Allow full right to protest at Beijing Winter Olympics, European athletes’ body says
- Athletes don’t have a say on the host city but may face a backlash for attending amid concerns over China’s human rights record, says union
- Call from ‘collective voice of European athletes’ comes amid increasing support in the West for a ‘diplomatic boycott’ of the Games
In an interview with the South China Morning Post, Paulina Tomczyk, general secretary of the European Elite Athletes Association (EU Athletes), criticised the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for failing to prioritise the well-being of athletes, both in its decision to award the games to China and in its failure to sufficiently reform rules on protesting.
“Athletes should have the right to express their concerns, because they are people and the freedom of expression – that is a human right. Athletes are the faces of the Games – everyone will watch the athletes, and sometimes they may also be criticised for the decision to go [to Beijing],” said Tomczyk, whose association describes itself as “the collective voice of European athletes”.
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US athletes train for 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics amid calls for Games boycott
The IOC loosened a complete ban on protests ahead of the Tokyo Games but any gestures on the podium remain prohibited.
In response to EU Athletes, the IOC said its “mission is to place athletes at the heart of the Olympic movement”, adding that its own athletes’ commission was “a democratically elected body by athletes which serves as a link between the athletes and the IOC”.
The IOC “recognises and upholds human rights as enshrined in both the fundamental principles of the Olympic Charter and in the IOC Code of Ethics”, the Swiss-based organisation said.