Athletes, not politics, define Olympics

[Woodmonkey]

Athletes, not politics, define Olympics

I was raised in the 1960s by parents who were the third generation of African-American civil rights leaders. In those turbulent times, my brothers and I learned to select the proper focus for our protests to achieve the desired effect; to always seek out reasoned discourse in a peaceful setting; and to avoid trying to exchange one person's rights in favor of another's.

When I hear about the protests that have shadowed the Olympic flame along its route to the Beijing 2008 Games, I am respectful of the views of those who represent a wide range of causes. But as a member of the 1976 and 1980 U.S. Olympic rowing teams, I also am concerned that our athletes might once again become pawns in a political skirmish.

Though the talk today is mainly about boycotting the opening ceremonies in Beijing, anti-China activists want more. And if, as in 1980, the United States ultimately were to boycott this year's Games in China, the rights of U.S. Olympians will be sacrificed at the whim of our political leaders.

The founders of our modern Olympic movement in 1894 believed that bringing together the youth of the world for two weeks of peaceful competition could lead to respect for fair play and open roads to peaceful discourse and understanding.

Indeed, the Games changed my life. I lived in the Olympic Village with people of every size, shape and nationality. The experience made me believe that world peace was possible. Everyone there was successful, as we had all been selected to represent our countries. And though we knew there were not enough medals for all of us, we lived in mutual respect.

In 1976, we won a bronze medal in the eight-oared shell with coxswain. Although we were proud of our performance at Montreal, our goal was to be gold medalists. Some of us decided to give it another try, which meant four more years of balancing family, professional, social and educational responsibilities.

As the 1980 Games grew closer, we were doing increasingly well at international regattas. Suddenly in January, we learned that our government intended to use us as human leverage against the Soviet Union for its invasion of Afghanistan. How, most of us wondered, could anything positive be achieved for a political issue by our shunning a celebration of human excellence?

I sued the U.S. Olympic Committee for my right to compete. I lost. In effect, so did the other 470 U.S. Olympians. Even though the Games went on without us, the boycott had zero effect on the issue that had caused dit. Members of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team had become victims of an urgent international policy gone askew. There were no winners.

The Olympic Games are, and should only be, about the athletes, competition and the promise of peace.

Anita L. DeFrantz is a senior member of the International Olympic Committee in the United States.

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