It’s really quite extraordinary that there are only 40 weeks to go until the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and yet we still have no idea what it’s going to look like, or even who will be there. Ticketing has yet to start, sponsors have little idea what they can do – and we won’t have answers to any of these questions (and more) for several more months at least.

But that is the COVID reality. For one of the most meticulously planned events in the world, flexibility has become a necessary. It’s unsettling, but in the context of the rest of the global headlines, it’s still fairly inconsequential.

The IOC has its hands overflowing with Tokyo logistics right now, but it’s already taking center stage for Beijing, with allegations of suppliers sourcing from Xinjiang and suppressions of freedom over the Rule 50 refresh. The fun continues…

Weekly Roundup

• IOC in cotton debate over Anta uniforms
• Chinese athletes skew IOC protest poll on Rule 50
• FIS Presidential candidate pumps China’s tires
• Russian anthem to be replaced by Tchaikovsky
• More boycott news from around the world
• Other features and stories in the build-up to Beijing 2022

Bless Their Cotton Socks?

IOC members and staff will be at the center of a fierce global debate at the Beijing Olympics, because they will be wearing uniforms made by Chinese sportswear company Anta, which has proudly backed Xinjiang cotton in the wake of international scrutiny of forced labor there.

An Anta statement at the end of March said: “We have always bought and used cotton produced in China, including Xinjiang cotton, and in the future we will continue to do so.” However, there appears to be no issue for the Tokyo Olympics, because the IOC told Axios: “For our uniforms in Tokyo, no cotton was used and we have been working closely with Anta to monitor the conditions in the factories producing our goods.”

However, the pressure on Anta – both from the Chinese public and the government – to produce uniforms for IOC officials to wear in Beijing that are made from cotton will be intense. After all, check out the picture (republished at the top of the page) from the IOC’s announcement in October 2019 that Anta would supply its uniforms. Looks like cotton, right?

The IOC can duck the question in Tokyo by wearing non-cotton uniforms, but a repeat of that in Beijing will be seen as a direct rebuke of Xinjiang cotton. Yet again, we’re heading into another one of those lose-lose situations, where companies – or, in this case, an organization – will be forced to choose between China and the ret of the world.

Chinese Athletes Skew IOC Protest Poll on Rule 50

I wrote at length last week about the IOC update to Rule 50 which governs athlete protests and freedom of expression at the Olympics. In summary, they polled a few thousand athletes and essentially concluded that athletes should have to keep quiet at all times.

David Owen has done some further digging on the numbers behind the conclusions and it’s worth a look. First and foremost, Chinese athletes – who tow the Party line on suppressing protest – were vastly overrepresented in the survey, with 14% of athletes polled coming from China. At Rio 2016, 3.7% of athletes were Chinese; at Pyeongchang 2018, it was 2.7%. That’s because the Chinese Olympic Committee were more proactive in getting Chinese athletes to take this survey via the IOC athlete portal – as, you could argue, is their job, but helps to explain the skewed data.

But the results are crucial. 59% of Australians, for example, felt there was a place for “self-expression”, either at any time (19%) or in the right circumstances (40%). More Canadian athletes felt that protests on the podium should be allowed than those who did not. Meanwhile, “the majority of Chinese athletes are not inclined to allow athletes’ expression of personal views at the Olympic Games”, according to a letter sent from COC Athletes’ Commission Chair Zhang Hong. Across nations who had at least 40 respondents, Chinese athletes objected to athletes expressing their views on “political issues and other topics” in either the media, the mixed zone or in press conferences (3 separate questions) by a margin of more than 30 percentage points over the next closest nation for each of those three areas. Full breakdown available here.

Team USA didn’t highlight any specific numbers in their strongly-worded letter, but a sample gives you an idea of where they stand:

“The silencing of athletes during the Games is in stark contrast to the importance of recognizing participants in the Games as humans first and athletes second. Prohibiting athletes to freely express their views during the Games, particularly those from historically underrepresented and minoritized groups, contributes to the dehumanization of athletes that is at odds with key Olympic and Paralympic values.”

Owen makes the argument that Rule 50 will inevitably be softened, because, as things stands, there’s no better incentive for an athlete seeking fame (and sponsorship $$) to violate Rule 50 by protesting on the podium. Thousands of Olympic champions fade from collective memory months after the Games, but the black power salute from Tommie Smith and John Carlos is still remembered more than 50 years later. So while, on the surface, this refreshed Rule 50 seems to align with China’s wishes on the suppression of protests and will likely deter moderate athletes from demonstrating, the reverse could be true for the more outspoken competitors – Mikaela Shiffrin, for example – when the Games come to Beijing next February. See also: Team GB’s Skinner: IOC’s Rule 50 can’t stop athletes from taking the knee at Olympic Games [ESPN], ‘Hypocrites’ claim as podium protests banned at Tokyo, Beijing Olympics [AFP], Olympic athletes promised legal support if they protest [AP]

FIS Presidential Candidate Pumps China’s Tires

It’s all happening at the International Ski Federation (FIS). Sarah Lewis, who was removed last year after 20 years as Secretary General with the organization citing “a complete loss of confidence” (although that comment was later withdrawn), is running for President in June’s election – and she appears to be nailing her colors to China’s mast, telling Xinhua:

“Believe me, the world will see many new Chinese champions emerging in the coming years, and already at Beijing 2022, as a result of the outstanding work of the Winter Sports Central Administration and its National Associations.”

It’s not often you hear the phrase “outstanding work” in the same sentence as a Chinese state-run sports organization, but Lewis may be right about the first part. China won’t win gold medals in any Alpine or Nordic disciplines, and snowboarding is likely a stretch, too, but don’t be surprised to see one or more Chinese champions in the freestyle skiing events, with Eileen Gu Ailing one of the leading contenders.

Lewis will have a tough time getting elected against her all-male opponents amid allegations of a conspiracy to get rid of her, but she seems to have some decent support, too. There’s a good profile of the former British alpine racer here.

Tchaikovsky’s Coming to Beijing

Who doesn’t love a bit of Tchaikovsky? Due to its doping history, Russia has been banned from displaying the name “Russia” on its uniforms, along with displaying the flag or playing its anthem at the Olympics. As a result, the country’s athletes must compete as “ROC”, or the Russian Olympic Committee, and the relevant parties have now agreed on which music to play when Russians win gold in Tokyo and Beijing.

Part of Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 will replace the previous anthem, a rather staid number composed by Alexander Alexandrov. But Tchaikovsky wasn’t even the ROC’s first choice as a replacement. They had applied to use the folk song Kathushka, but that was considered too patriotic.

In the end, the third choice of Tchaikovsky made the cut. Don’t expect to hear it too often in Beijing, though. Taking away the home Sochi Olympics in 2014, when 11 Russian athletes capitalizing on the host nation boost to win gold, the country had just two champions in Vancouver in 2010 and three in Pyeongchang in 2018. Here’s Chinese pianist Lang Lang playing a snippet:

Baidu to Provide Driverless Taxis at Beijing Olympics

Visitors at the upcoming 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics will be able to ride “robotaxis” as a regular transport option, with passengers experiencing a fully driverless service at Beijing’s refurbished Shougang Park on the west side of the city, and home to the Big Air competitions in the Olympics.

Baidu will launch the driverless robotaxi services to the public in Beijing this weekend (May 2), which will be China’s first paid autonomous car service. The robotaxis will take users to sports halls, work areas, coffee shops and hotels, and will provide shuttle services for athletes and staff at the Olympics.

Boycott Watch

Can we stop calling it a “diplomatic boycott” please? Regular readers will know that this column keeps a close eye on the latest reports of boycott threats from around the world, but the most likely option – a so-called “diplomatic boycott” – is highly misleading. There have been half a dozen Olympic boycotts of note, although only three where more than 10 countries have chosen not to attend, and they happened at consecutive Summer Games:

• 1976 Montreal: a majority of African countries boycotted after the IOC refused to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team had toured South Africa in defiance of an apartheid era sports embargo.
• 1980 Moscow: 66 countries boycotted due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
• 1984 Los Angeles: 14 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted in response to the US-led boycott of Moscow in 1980.

All of these boycotts involved athletic delegations not attending. But heads of state have often chosen not to attend the Olympics for various reasons. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, about 115 of 204 participating nations sent their heads of state to the opening Ceremony, with stated absences from Canada, Estonia, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Pakistan and others. At Sochi in 2014, Obama deliberately opted to skip the ceremonies – a “diplomatic boycott”, if you will, but no one talks about a US boycott of the 2014 Olympics. Leaders have made these absences more or less clear, depending on circumstances, but history doesn’t record a boycott if a country’s athletes attend a Games while the President stays at home. That’s not to say a political point can’t still be made by only allowing athletes to attend and keeping the politicians away, but the word “boycott” muddles the issue.

See also: GOP senator supports ‘diplomatic boycott’ of 2022 Olympics in Beijing [The Hill], Is talk of an Olympic boycott real or diplomatic Kabuki? [Nikkei Asian Review], WH Shuns Push for ‘Diplomatic Boycott’ of Beijing Olympics [Real Clear Politics], Responding To Beijing’s Hosting Of 2022 Olympics Should Be A Team Effort [Forbes], The U.S. should consider the possibility of an Olympic boycott to protest Chinese human rights violations [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

Other Stories and Links

• Century-old railway gets Winter Olympics upgrade [Global Times]
• Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen to represent Finland in 2022 Olympic Games as Assistant GM [ABC 6 News]
• Biathlete Lapshin given 12-month ban for doping offence, can compete at Beijing 2022 [insidethegames]
• Beijing 2022 moving to protect Olympic IP [China Daily]
• Tokyo Guidelines Released for “Safe and Secure” Olympics [IOC]

See also:

• 41 Weeks To Go: Boycott Bill & Olympic Protests Outlawed
• 300 Days To Go: BioNTech Vaccine in China & Boycott Threats Ease
• 43 Weeks To Go: Ping Pong Diplomacy & Canadian’s Chinese Dream
• 44 Weeks To Go: Test Events, Nike Reprieve & Chengdu Postponement
• 45 Weeks To Go: To Watch or Not To Watch?

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