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The Olympic Movement - or Lack Thereof

by Kate Catlin

When I was a senior in high school I was selected to carry the Olympic torch on its journey to Salt Lake for the Winter Olympics there. I was unsure of what this meant when I first heard but as the packages arrived in the mail and I selected my running speed and tried on my special outfit it became more and more exciting. When the day arrived, I realized that I never could have imagined anything more special than this. As we waited for the convoy to get there, I will never forget thinking to myself, “I am about to hold the Olympic flame in my hand.” I now look back on that day as one of the most special events in my life thus far.

These are the memories that come to mind as I watch the coverage of this year’s torch relay to Beijing. Anti-China protestors have been crashing the torch relay in an attempt to stop it to call attention to China’s policies in Tibet. They are encouraging sponsors of the relay and the Olympic games to pull their support. As I read the articles about the torch being extinguished three times in Paris or see the photos of the torchbearers huddling their bodies around the torch to protect it, I am disappointed for them. This is supposed to be a special event, recognizing these individuals for their achievements by allowing them to carry the Olympic flame, a symbol of world unity.

Many are asking if these protests are bad PR for Olympic sponsors. I think that a quote by Lenovo spokesman Bob Page in a recent News & Observer article said it well, “Lenovo resists efforts to politicize the games,” Page said. “We do hope for a peaceful resolution to the situation in Tibet, but we also believe the Olympics is not the place for a corporate sponsor to insert itself in government policy or advise governments on political policy issues, regardless of the host country.”

These corporate sponsors are spending money to sponsor the Olympics – not China or their policies in regard to Tibet. According to the Olympic Charter, established by Pierre de Coubertin, the goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

As it said in The Week, China could quiet the protesters by starting to deliver on the pledges it made to the International Olympic Committee to respect human rights. Neither side has issue with the spirit of friendship, solidarity or fair play so perhaps they should focus their efforts on peaceful demonstrations rather than attacks on the torch.

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