Boycott – When athletes become pawns

Human rights violations, violent oppression of minorities and the dispute over Taiwan. The United States' boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing goes by many names. Joe Biden's government wants to send a clear signal through symbolism and therefore does not want to send diplomatic representatives to the major event. This is not only a response to China's misconduct in recent years, but also to that of the last few decades.

Beijing was already in the international spotlight in 2008. The focus would force the state to act; an improvement was foreseeable, the IOC said at the time. However, nothing has changed since then - quite the opposite. Now the USA has had enough of the spotlight and is drawing a line. The games are boycotted.

This brings back memories of the 1980s, the final phase of the Cold War. When sport was not only political, but the athletes themselves were viewed like chess pieces and only played to and benefited the reputation of the political leaders. Even if the athletes will probably be spared from the boycott this time, the campaign has a bad aftertaste. Sports and cover-ups – a devilish duo China is coining the term “sportwashing” – similar to Qatar at the 2022 World Cup. This is an expression of when sport is used by authoritarian states to burnish their own reputation and cover up grievances. The illusion of an ideal world already worked in 2008, so why not 14 years later? China wants to show its best side in February. © ANSA / ROMAN PILIPEY / STF

The boycott is intended to expose this illusion. As early as 1980, the USA was the driving force in the boycott of the Moscow Summer Games. At that time, the Soviet Union's invasion of Afghanistan was one of the reasons for this decision.

However, compared to today's conditions, there was a significant difference. The athletes were also affected by the boycott and were not allowed to take part in the major event. The essence of the Olympic Games - togetherness - was divided under the guise of preserving world peace and thus became a political issue in itself. Athletes defend themselves Four years later the tables were turned. At the Los Angeles Games, it was the Warsaw Pact, especially the Soviet Union, that called for a boycott. The major international event, which promised to uphold the values of the gathering, became a farce. And the real heroes, whose career peak was carelessly used as leverage, saw their dream crumble to dust.

While in football the fault is still blamed on the athletes and their individual non-participation in Qatar is demanded by large parts of society, the discussion at the Olympic Games is different. Politics is responsible for the symbolism. Governments may use sport as a stage, but not at the expense of those who spend their lives working towards this moment. ÖSV ace Vincent Kriechmayr took a clear stance. © APA/afp / MARCO BERTORELLO

Ultimately, the participating protagonists have no control over the choice of venue. Vincent Kriechmayr aptly summed up the grievances at the beginning of December: “I would even fly to North Korea for the Olympic Games. After all, I can’t help it if the IOC awards the most important major event in our sport to places like this!”

The battle between the great powers is fought on many levels - including in sport. It remains to be seen whether the politics of signs and symbols will have an impact or is just an act of desperation. The athletes can at least fulfill their dream. Even if their country's representatives don't applaud them.

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Boycott – When athletes become pawns

When the starting signal for the Winter Olympics in Beijing is given on February 04th, some countries will not be present - at least at a diplomatic level. A US-led boycott is causing political turmoil in the run-up to the games. Parallels to the boycott games of 1980 and 1984 are all too obvious.

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