To Russia, With Love

Many are called; few are chosen. For each athlete who makes it to compete in the Olympics, thousands of others never have that dream realized. But if you can compete in another country's uniform, all the more chances you have of marching in the opening ceremony and possibly even snaring a medal. 

That's the unique opportunity at which American basketball player Becky Hammon is leaping. Hammon, a popular WNBA player for the San Antonio Silver Stars in the U.S. last season who was the runner-up for the league's most valuable player, became a naturalized Russian citizen last year and will be wearing the colors of Moscow in the Olympic competition this August. ESPN notes her decision is "controversial" to say the least. But it's been an intriguing journey for the 31-year-old who appears to have been snubbed by USA Basketball. She wasn't among those chosen to be among those eligible to try out for the U.S. Olympic team, so she signed on with CSKA Moscow in a deal that would allow her to compete for a spot on Russia's Olympic team. Subsequently Hammon was invited to try out for the U.S. team, "but she said contractual obligations with CSKA left her unable to attend," ESPN says. She and her agent later tried to clarify her position, but "they came away with the impression that she wasn't in serious contention to make the team. So Hammon took her Olympic dream elsewhere." 

She will be joined on the team by another American, J.R. Bucknell. "The jersey that I wear has never made me who I was. It has nothing to do with what's written on my heart," Hammon told ESPN.com. "Will I be playing for Russia? Yes. But I'm absolutely 100 percent still an American. I love our country. I love what we stand for. This is an opportunity to fulfill my dream of playing in the Olympics."

Many athletes switch uniforms, if not allegiances, either as the only way to make it to the Games, because teams lack enough qualified members, or because of any number of disputes with coaches an National Olympic Committees. At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, I met with some members of China's swimming delegation which included a competitor from Turkey -- apparently giving the Chinese some needed depth. I covered World Cup skiing in Japan and interviewed Marc Ghiradelli, a consummate skier in all disciplines from Austria ... though he competed for Luxembourg over coaching disagreements. 

New List of Rules For Foreign Visitors

Don't bring in weapons or drugs. Don't light fireworks at sports venues. Don't attack referees. Don't sleep outdoors. And don't even think about protesting with a political statement. The Beijing organizers of this summer's Olympics published a list of rules this week by which foreign visitors to the Games must abide. Authorities will also bar entry to those who are mentally ill, who have sexually transmitted diseases or who are suspected of planning to seek out prostitutes. It also said that travelers with tickets to Olympic events were not guaranteed a visa, apparently giving notice that known political activists will kept out. 

Organizers expect about 500,000 visitors from foreign countries during the Games, but said in its new rulebook that China still has many areas that are off-limits to visitors. "Not all of China is currently open to foreigners, and if foreigners do not have permission they should not go into areas not opened it," Reuters quoted the organizing committee statement as saying. 

China is trying hard to ensure the Games will unfold smoothly, and that includes preventing any disruption, whether organized terrorism or single-person soapbox protests. The new rules were posted to the organizing committee's website, but curiously, only in the Chinese version. 

Olympic Scammers Rev Into High Gear

Scammers feeding off the Olympic hoopla are redoubling efforts to separate Chinese and visitors from their money through a variety of schemes ranging from clever to "Huh??" "Tricksters are setting up fake Olympic ticket websites, selling Olympic bonds that do not exist and running fraudulent Olympic-linked competitions," says China's Xinua News Agency. The dupes follow eight common patterns including "You have won!" hooks, and pitches selling Olympic tickets, which exist, and Olympic bonds, which don't, according to Reuters. One pitch, reminiscent of Nigerian email scams, comes in the form of text messages telling recipients they've won something from the Beijing Games organizers, but that they have to pay a tax first in order to claim their prize. "They spin a web of lies to tempt and deceive people, and carry out their frauds by taking advantage of victims' desire for a small gain," Xinhua said.

Another World's Fastest Human Emerges

A new face will be the center of attention at the marquee men's 100-meter race at the Beijing Olympics this summer. Jamaican Usain Bolt set a world record in that event of 9.72 seconds at the Reebok Grand Prix in New York yesterday, edging past the previous record of 9.74 set last September by longtime star Asafa Powell, also of Jamaica and who also held the previous mark of 9.77, which he attained three times. American Tyson Gay took second in 9.85. Bolt's victory, much less record, was unexpected because Bolt is a 200- and 400-meter specialist, and was thought to be saving his best for when he lines up against Powell in Jamaica's Olympic trials.

I was in the stands at the Seoul Olympics in 1988 and watched Jamaican-born Ben Johnson run his phenomenal 9.79 in the 100-meter final. The sprint for the title of World's Fastest Human is an arresting moment in sports -- not only a hundred thousand people in the stadium, but probably hundreds of millions around the world are transfixed by that spectacle on live television at every Olympics. In 1988 Johnson's speed broke a psychological barrier by going under 9.80, as the world record was 9.83. Of course, Johnson was disqualified three days later for using banned steroids. Could that rise up to haunt Bolt?

'We Are Ready'

It's interesting to take a look occasionally at how the organizers of the Beijing Olympics are stirring up the emotions for these Games. Already at least three "theme songs" have emerged to promote anticipation for the Aug. 4-24 Olympics. They're candy-pop tunes hard to get out of your head, but it's also interesting to see the video montages Chinese TV and others come up with. Here's a live performance in front of a dripping-with-lights-and-decor Gate of Heavenly Peace of "We Are Ready," a song that's been recorded, re-recorded and covered multiple times, as has "Forever Friends" posted here earlier. Organizers (and composers and choreographers) are really pulling out all the stops.

Surprise -- Hotels Still Available

Good news for travelers who want to go to Beijing during the Olympics in August but who don’t have reservations – there are still plenty of hotel rooms, all the way down to two-star hotels. Five-star hotels still have a 23% vacancy rate, and 56% of four-star hotels remain unbooked, according to Tourism Bureau Director Zhang Huigang (whom some might remember as the Chinese capital’s anti-spitting czar when he headed Beijing’s ethics office). The occupancy rates of two- and three-star hotels are even lower, possibly because of China’s stricter visa policies, as noted in previous posts.

TMI (Too Much Info) In Some Oly Tickets

In an effort to thwart any terrorist attacks or embarrassing public protests, tickets to the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies will have unrivaled security elements built right into them – including photos of the ticketholders, their passport numbers and contact details, Canadian Press reports.

Such measures at the 91,000-seat National Stadium, nicknamed “The Nest” for obvious reasons (photo), could cause long delays, according to Canpress, and that will not easily be tolerated by many of the VIPs holding tickets to the Aug. 8 opening ceremonies and Aug. 24 closing fête. The top tickets to those events list at $720 … so how are authorities going to keep track of tickets that are assigned at the last minute to important guests, or that are given or resold to others, or scalped for five times the price?

Stopping scalpers is part of the idea of course. But if a national delegation or company or simply a wealthy person impressing friends brings in a group of 10 people, how can everyone be sure they have the right high-tech entry pass? This measure is meant to stop opportunistic resellers, activists from obtaining tickets so they can unfurl pro-Tibet or other banners, and to try and keep genuine terrorist out of the opening and closing festivities. But its actual effect may be to create gads of irate rich people who hate standing in lines.

Olympic Visa Rules Bring Decrease in Visitors

Beijing is getting fewer foreign visitors these days, and it may be because it’s more of a pain to get a visa thanks to Olympic security concerns. The number of foreigners visiting the Chinese capital fell 5.3% to 385,000 in April, compared with a year before, according to government estimates. Earlier in the month authorities imposed tighter visa controls in the lead-up to, and during the Olympic Games in August. Visitors won’t be able to get multiple-entry visas, and in many cases are being required to prove they have hotel accommodations and return air tickets. Some travelers are also told they must return to their home countries to get a visa – no more jetting to Hong Kong and getting a quick permit there to head into China. At least not until after the Games.

Helping China Quake Victims

Victims of the Sichuan earthquake, some who have lost their only children as well as their only homes -- virtually all for which they have to live -- urgently need shelter and support. These organizations are providing needed assistance to families, especially those who have next to nothing left.

AMERICARES
88 Hamilton Avenue
Stamford, Conn. 06902
(800) 486-4357

GIVE2ASIA
China Earthquake Relief
P.O. Box 193223
San Francisco, CA 94119-3223
(415) 743-3336

HALF THE SKY FOUNDATION
Room 2703, 27/F, Shun Feng International Centre
182 Queen’s Road East

SAVE THE CHILDREN
China Earthquake Relief
54 Wilton Road
Westport, Conn. 06880
(800) 728-3843

WORLD VISION
P.O. Box 9716
Federal Way, Wash. 98063-9716
(888) 56-CHILD (562-4453)

Could China Quake Shake Olympics?

China reported a big earthquake of magnitude 7+ today near Chengdu, Sichuan province. Initial reports of hundreds possibly dead is almost certainly vastly below the actual number, which will trickle upward. Rural Chinese construction is shoddy at best, and populated areas near a quake of that magnitude will be flattened. Godspeed to the rescuers attempting to reach those buried and trapped.

At only some 1,000 miles from Beijing, will this affect the Olympics, scheduled to open in less than three months? Unlikely -- Beijing's buildings, especially those built in the last 30 years, have earthquake safeguards designed in. But if a temblor of the size of the 7.8-magnitude quake that hit Tangshan in 1976 comes during the Olympcs, that could bring the Games to a standstill. Tangshan is only about 130 miles east of Beijing, and the Chinese capital was still digging out from the rubble of collapsed homes and rickety buildings. I saw that myself, as the Tangshan earthquake was in July, 1976 and I was in Beijing that September.

If You're in China and Want Olympic Tickets ...

... you're out of luck. At least if you want to buy them retail. The last wave of tickets to Olympic events in Beijing this August was sold out in a rush today, a month ahead of schedule, according to an AFP report. Tens of millions of people went online and lined up at banks like the woman in the AFP photo here for the final 1.38 million tickets for competition in Beijing and equestrian events in Hong Kong. There are, however, some seats available for qualifying soccer matches in Shanghai, Shenyang, Tianjin and Qinhuangdao.

So, what is the scalping scene going to be? With so many more wealthy entrepreneurs and other Chinese in recent years, and Chinese companies such as Lenovo and Haier rising to international prominence, those prices are likely to tower like Yao Ming over their face value. And what could be more prestigious for Chinese than to offer (or receive) tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies, or to diving, gymnastics, table tennis and shooting events, where Chinese competitors traditionally excel?

'Forever Friends'

This is the way the Beijing Olympic organizers, and, I genuinely believe, the majority of Chinese, would like the world to anticipate the Summer Olympics, set to open Aug. 8. I attended a festival on the Ohio State U. campus on Saturday celebrating the Olympics Games coming to China. I talked to students from China attending different universities in Ohio and their views were uniform: great pride in China hosting the Olympics, and polite regret that protesters are choosing to target China and the world's biggest sporting event.

The organizers of this festival linked to a music video of "Forever Friends," one of several theme songs to pop up in advance of the Olympics. It's a feel-good celebration of the coming Games, with a heavy dose of Chinese participation. Worth a look. (The video is visible and plays in the Firefox and Safari browsers, but may not in Internet Explorer for some reason.)

Olympics Bring Tighter Visa Rules

China’s new restrictions on visas are proving mighty unpopular among business travelers. The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China have harrumphed mightily at the new rules, which have resulted in rejections of multiple-entry business visas and requests for expedited permits, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Granted, keeping track of the hordes of tourists wanting to visit China during the Games this summer, not to mention all the competitors, coaches, national Olympic committee members and journalists who will descend on the Chinese capital, is a headache of monumental proportions. After violence and deaths at the 1972 Munich Olympics and 1996 Atlanta Games, organizers' obsession over security is understandable. But the process for longstanding or clearly legitimate multiple-entry and long-term visitors should be made easier.

China to Meet With Dalai Lama Reps

Might Chinese officials have had enough of demonstrators protesting China's position toward Tibet, which has disrupted the global relay of the Olympic torch? Could be. Chinese officials have agreed to meet with representatives of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. The torch protests have quite alarmed Chinese leaders, and angered Chinese, both from the mainland and those who grew up overseas. China has accused the Dalai Lama (photo: Reuters) for being behind the protests. The torch relay is beginning to pit sides against one along the relay routes themselves, which is an embarrassment to Chinese organizers, but in my view bad for the Olympics themselves. The event and the athletes who compete in the Games don't want to be a magnet for protests or violence, and the "Beijing Olympics" is fast becoming a metaphor for "pro- and anti-China elements duking it out."

Torch Not Burned in New Delhi

One final post about the Olympic torch for now -- it made it through New Delhi relatively uneventfully. That was significant because New Delhi is only about 1,700 kilometers by my rough calculation from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital where anti-Chinese demonstrations sparked the current round of protests surrounding the Olympic torch relay. The Indian capital is also only about 450 kms from Dharamsala, where Tibet's holiest figure the Dalai Lama lives. So, in a country where suicide bombers have been known to assassinate political figures (Rajiv Gandhi, May 1991 for instance), I figured if there was any chance for disruption of the torch relay and determined protesters to get through porous security, this would be it.

About 15,000 police however managed to keep the public, and traffic, far enough away from the flame that only spectators by Olympic sponsors were close by. There are more Tibetans in India than anywhere else outside of Tibet, so authorities took no risks, limiting the route to only about three kms, switching runners every few seconds. The ubiquitous Chinese security forces in blue track suits, and Indian guards in red gear surrounded the torch. A few Tibetan activists were detained at a protest far from the torch route in New Delhi (AFP photo), and in other cities.

As a fan of the spirit the Olympics are supposed to engender, I feel it's really too bad that the torch has become such a magnet for protest. Yes, activists have achieved their goals of attracting attention to their causes and humiliating China, but those bearing the brunt of the protests in their faces are Olympic athletes, Chinese or otherwise, regardless of whether or not they were part of the flame's relay. They should be left alone and not pelted with slogans and water bottles, and allowed to soak up the spirit of their achievements. Politicize the Games? Bah humbug.

Japan, Australia Say No Thanks To Blue Man Group

Japan has joined Australia in saying thanks, but no thanks, to the blue-clad Chinese security detail guarding and jogging alongside the Olympic torch as it winds its way through major world cities. "We should not violate the principle that the Japanese police will firmly maintain security," Shinya Izumi, head of Japan's National Public Safety Commission, was quoted as saying in a piece Karl B. emailed to me. "If they are for the consideration of security, it is our role." Earlier Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in Beijing (AP Photo) that the Chinese agents, which Chinese media have acknowleged are members of the People's Armed Police as I thought, will not be allowed to run in the torch relay Down Under, but will follow close behind in a bus. “The total security needs of the Olympic torch during its visit to Australia will be provided by the Australian security authorities,” Rudd said, adding that the security agents will only get off an accompanying bus when necessary, such as when the torch is passed from one runner to another.

Hmm ... "when necessary"? I guess because the runners actually stop to pass the baton, we'll see the Blue Man Group spill out of its chase-bus every few hundred meters to beef up the security against demonstrators protesting Chinese policies on Tibet, Sudan and other issues who tried to get close to the flame. And neither Izumi's nor Rudd's statements reject participation by the PAP cadets. They will likely still be seen throughout the relay stages in Sydney and Nagano, which have both hosted Olympic Games.

China Drops a Surprise Accusation

Chinese officials let loose a surprise today, saying they've rolled up a terrorist plot to undermine this summer's Olympic Games with suicide bombings and kidnappings of foreign journalists, athletes and other visitors. The plot was allegedly being hatched by ethnic Uighur separatists from Xinjiang in China's far west, who have agitated for independence and protested what they call Chinese wiping out of their culture. Details and a video report here. Authorities gave no other details, and the timing and nature of the announcement make one wonder if it could be a diversionary tactic to distract attention from the chaotic and protest-ridden running of the Olympic torch relay, disrupted by pro-Tibet demonstrators. The news of shutting down the Uighur plot conveniently seems to lend justification for the commando-like Chinese security detail following the torch in London, Paris and San Francisco. Yet China doesn't have a pattern of suicide bombings, and aside from a few abductions of foreigners for ransom in some of China's wilder southern regions, you don't hear about kidnappings as a political tactic. China has recently accused followers of Tibet's Dalai Lama of plotting suicide bombings inside China, but that also isn't a tactic with much known history, if any.

Flameout

I'm watching a live feed from the ABC affiliate KGO-TV in San Francisco of the snail-like, circus-like progression of the Olympic flame through the streets of SF. (AFP photo, left). From the helicopter view it looks like semi-controlled pandemonium ... three lines of police security on either side of the torch runners. First there are 15 or 20 police, in black uniforms and holding truncheons at the ready, jogging alongside the runners, who stop every 0.1 mile or so to switch off. Then there's a line of motorcycle police on either side, then another row of defensive linesmen on the run on the outside perimeter, scuffling frequently with protesters feverishly running along the periphery, across grass and around corners in the route, holding up signs and some carrying what appear to be Tibetan flags. Some are seen being pushed back or dragged off the street. So from the air there are six black lines snaking along, with a knot at the head of the procession of eight or nine of the security types in those blue track suits ... who seem to have been internationalized somewhat -- not all Chinese any longer, there appear to be at least one white woman and at least one African American man among them. The runners, in pairs, are in bright red and white outfits. Latimes.com says the route was cut in half and rerouted to try and shake protesters, but TV shows the flame was rooted out. Poor police and security detail don't seem to be getting any respite.

Blue Man Group

Who are the nameless Chinese runners in blue track suits and wearing black fanny packs? They certainly made their presence known during the Olympic torch relay legs in London and Paris, which fell into disarray when demonstrators protesting China's human rights record and the country's actions toward Tibet disrupted the Running of the Flame numerous times this week. My friend Karl B. sent me a link to a story in Britain's The Independent yesterday titled, "Questions raised over mysterious 'men in blue'." It says, "for any of the athletes, protesters, journalists and even police who found themselves guided, barged or fighting with this particularly committed group of Chinese minders, the identity and function of the 'boys in blue tracksuits' was of paramount importance." The story includes interesting photos from Getty Images (above) and the AP (top). My take: they probably come from China's Army and Renmin Wujing (People's Armed Police), a combination of SWAT team and riot police. Will be very interesting to see if they are on today's torch relay route in San Francisco -- the Olympic flame's only appearance in the United States -- where police will be out in force to prevent disruptions and where authorities expect more than 6,000 protesters to turn out.

Boycott Talk Increases; Olympic Torch Relay Disrupted

Hillary Clinton has joined House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in calling on George Bush to boycott the opening ceremonies of this summer's Olympic Games in Beijing. Clinton today called Bush "wrong to downplay human rights" in the face of China's suppression of protests in Tibet and surrounding regions, and its support of the government in Sudan despite the documented genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. "President Bush should not plan on attending the opening ceremonies in Beijing, absent major changes by the Chinese government,'' Clinton said in a statement. Bush plans to attend the Games this August, including the Aug. 4 opening ceremony in the city where his father was once ambassador. Bush is certain not to change his mind ... I believe he wants China to consider him a "lao pengyou" -- an old friend -- as it does his father. And Britain's Gordon Brown is sure to be there -- London hosts the next Summer Olympics in 2012. But the handful of Western leaders staying away from Beijing's opening ceremonies could trigger more no-shows, and if such a movement gathers more momentum it would percolate to the top of media coverage. Not at all something China wants to see.



Since blogs are meant to be extensions of one's personal existence -- and since I haven't been near any Tibet or Olympic protests in the past week -- I'll try citing instead a couple of stories written by friends and former colleagues about the issue. One is from Paris, where the Olympic torch relay "descended into chaos Monday, with protesters scaling the Eiffel Tower, grabbing for the flame and forcing security officials to repeatedly snuff out the torch and transport it by bus past demonstrators yelling "Free Tibet!" This article, co-written for The Associated Press by Elaine Ganley, describes the nightmarish and at times comically surreal scene of Chinese security agents in warmup suits and French police "flics" on roller blades failing miserably to stop interference from demonstrators protesting China's stance on Tibet and Sudan. "The relentless anti-Chinese demonstrations ignited across the capital with unexpected power and ingenuity, foiling 3,000 police officers deployed on motorcycles, in jogging gear and even inline skates. Thousands of protesters slowed the relay to a stop-start crawl, with impassioned displays of anger over China's human rights record, its grip on Tibet and support for Sudan despite years of bloodshed in Darfur. Five times, the Chinese officials in dark glasses and tracksuits who guard the torch extinguished it and retreated to the safety of a bus - the last time emerging only after the vehicle drove within 15 feet of the final stop, a track and field stadium. A torchbearer then ran the final steps inside." The Olympic flame has been dogged by protesters since it was handed over to Chinese officials in Greece on March 30. It's hard to imagine a more humiliating and embarrassing appearance for the usually welcomed symbol of the Games than today's trajectory in the French capital. And what was Chinese security doing surrounding the torch anyway? Sounds like creating a target. I feel sorry for the athletes carrying the torch, no doubt caught up in the infectious spirit -- and it is always infectious -- of the runup to an Olympics. A washingtonpost.com story today noted that when the flame crossed the Seine River opposite the Eiffel Tower, "pro-Tibet demonstrators pelted the torch bearer -- a wheelchair-bound ping pong player -- and his assistants with bottles of juice, fruit and other projectiles."

Meanwhile today in San Francisco, the tortured torch's next stop where it arrives on Wednesday, three protesters climbed up the Golden Gate Bridge and anchored a Tibetan flag and two banners reading "One World One Dream. Free Tibet" and "Free Tibet." ("Tong yige shijie, tong yige mengxiang" is the Beijing Games' slogan: "One World, One Dream.")

John Glionna, the San Francisco bureau chief of the Los Angeles Times, wrote last Wednesday that the torch is scheduled to arrive for its only North American appearance in SF this week, "but this politically charged city is still squabbling over whether to roll out or roll up the red carpet." He noted accusations that SF Mayor Gavin Newsom is trying to keep the flame's route a secret and that police are under orders to arrest anyone from displaying signs or banners supporting Tibet, Darfur or the Falun Gong religious sect that is banned in China. Last week SF's Board of Supervisors "took a stand that seemed anything but welcoming, voting 8 to 3 for a resolution to greet the torch 'with alarm and protest'."

What's surprising is that Chinese authorities seem to be caught by surprise. Surely they anticipated protests over China's human rights and foreign policy as the Olympics draw near. And the fact that demonstrators in the West can get much closer to the objects of their protests than in China couldn't have been lost on torch relay organizers. (There were all those Chinese security joggers after all). The torch moves on next to Buenos Aires and Dar-es-Salaam, but later hits New Delhi and Hong Kong, where it's likely to face further, and perhaps even more vociferous, protests. Clouds may be gathering for China's coming-out party in four months and a day.

Tibet Protests Drawing Undesired Attention Ahead of Olympics

By allowing pro-Tibet protests to swell before sending in large numbers of Chinese troops into Tibet and nearby regions to quell the demonstrations, Chinese authorities appear to have learned little from the pro-democracy protests of 1989, Time magazine says this week. The apparent paralysis as to how to respond echoed the similar government disarray that allowed students to occupy Tiananmen Square for three weeks before the Army reclaimed it with considerable bloodshed. "Even though Chinese authorities have had almost two decades to learn the lessons of Tiananmen Square — after which it spent time in the diplomatic doghouse — the events in Lhasa were almost a textbook example of how not to handle a crisis: dithering and indecision followed by the application of massive force."

Increasing Chatter of an Olympic Boycott

Beijing's 2008 Summer Olympics experienced this past week hints of a possible boycott of some or all of the Games over China's suppression of protests in Tibetan regions against Chinese rule, and the government's support of regimes in Burma and Sudan. German Chancellor Angela Merkel (left) said she would not attend the Games, joining the leaders of Poland, the Czech Republic and Estonia who have said they won't go. Merkel, who had angered Chinese leaders when she met recently with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, didn't cite political reasons, but her fellow Christian Democratic Party member Hans-Gert Pötterin, who is chair of the European Parliament, said, "I cannot imagine German politicians attending the opening or closing ceremonies" given the crackdown on pro-Tibet protesters. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he would stay away from the Aug. 8 opening ceremony because "the presence of politicians at the inauguration of the Olympics seems inappropriate."

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he still intends to go to the Games ... although how could he not? London will be the host of the next Olympiad, in 2012, and a snub by him is unthinkable. The no-go statements by the other European leaders have focused attention on French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said Thursday that his attendance at the Games would depend on how China deals with the protests in Tibet, which China has called part of its territory since 1951. "We were shocked by what happened in Tibet and we made our great concern known, each in our own way," Sarkozy said after a meeting with Brown.

But, "No one is in favor of a boycott of the Olympic Games (as a whole) ... and regarding the opening ceremony nobody wished to speak about it," French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said during a European Union meeting this past weekend. Foreign ministers of the 27-member EU met Saturday and Sunday in Slovenia where China's crackdown on protesters in Tibet and neighboring Chinese provinces was on the agenda. A statement by the ministers called "for an end to the violence" and for those arrested to be treated "in accordance with international standards," but there was no mention of any boycott.

This may be a lot of posturing, as the opening and closing ceremonies and the Games themselves are typically only attended by a handful of heads of state or government. The Beijing Games promise to be spectacular though, and the opportunity to be at the center of the known universe during some of those 16 days this August will be hard to resist, so the VIP list will likely grow. George Bush has said repeatedly he will attend the Beijing Games as a spectator and supporter of U.S. athletes, not as a President giving his blessing to any regime or any bilateral relationship. Vice presidents are frequently charged with showing the U.S. flag at such events abroad, such as when Dan Quayle went to the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France (I did "the wave" sitting about 30 rows up from Quayle and French President Francois Mitterrand at the opening ceremonies of those Games).

The Washington Post published an editorial Sunday titled, "Do Olympic Boycotts Achieve Anything?" "Reichs fall, cultures adapt and poor economic models collapse, largely irrespective of protests and boycotts," it said.

Talk of a boycott reminds me of Jesse Vassallo, one of the world's greatest swimmers that most Olympic fans have never known. Vassallo is around my age and was in my sport, so in the 1970s I was following his career. He was favored to win multiple gold medals at the 1980 Moscow Olympics until President Jimmy Carter boycotted those Games over the Soviets' invasion of Afghanistan. Vassallo, and all Olympians whose governments took part in the boycott had a highlight of their lives and goal toward which they had worked like nothing else yanked out from under them. Vassallo won a couple of races in alternative games in the U.S., where his times for the 200- and 400-meter individual medleys were actually better than the gold-medal times in Moscow, but they were rather hollow victories. What did that boycott actually accomplish? A retaliatory Soviet bloc boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics. Such wasteful and empty gestures.

While some foreign leaders and other dignitaries -- and even a few athletes -- may choose symbolically to pinch their noses and stay home during the Olympics, I seriously doubt any team (especially with a medal contender) will boycott the 2008 Games. For its part, China will certainly welcome all eligible delegations. In the past China has made an issue out of consorting with diplomats / athletes / journalists / representatives from a handful of countries -- Beijing for instance wouldn't allow reporters from Taiwan, South Korea, Israel and South Africa to be accredited for a visit by then Chinese Communist Party Secretary General Hu Yaobang to Japan in the 1980s. But China has gotten beyond snubbing people because of their passports, and can't wait for the world, and its tourists, and its media, and its money, to come running.