The winter Olympics have officially ended with 91 delegations all choosing to compete in the 2022 games. While the Olympics to many may be seen as a fun sports competition, in today’s geopolitical climate they mean something more: the Olympics have become politicized. It is important to pay homage to all the athletes and nations that in the past used the Olympics as a means of political action like the U.S. men’s rowing team beating Germany in the beginning of Hitler’s rule or the U.S. hockey Team beating the Soviets during the Cold War. However, in each of these cases, the idea was to make a show of power within the event. Now the question has come up whether the U.S. or any other nation participating is an act of weakness not strength.
The winter Olympics this year were hosted by China, a regime whose international image is that of an abuser and a bully. China is involved in a string of human rights abuses towards ethnic minorities in their nation. They are bullying Taiwan and threatening freedom of press and speech in Hong Kong. They are perpetuating debt traps in Africa and funding weapon campaigns in the Middle East. The myriad of abuses is public knowledge, and despite the reputation of the U.S. as a rights defender, there has not been a coordinated response. The world’s focus, then, has moved to the Olympics as a potential means to demonstrate discontent with Chinese politics.
There is merit in this statement. China would lose money and viewership during the games and have to suffer the embarrassment of the boycott itself. However, there’s a larger question at play here: if we start this trend of boycotting the Olympics will the games themselves cease to exist? After all, almost every nation has abuses that are visible to the public, including the U.S. This could become a trend that’s irreversible. In that case, the decision comes down to if the Olympics are worth giving up.
I lean towards the side that the Olympics are something the world should not give up. The Olympics provide a unique opportunity for people of different backgrounds to compete in front of the world. At the same Olympics that the US rowing team won, Jesse Owens, a Black man, won four gold medals providing an example for millions of African Americans. In addition the Olympics can offer national unity in a way that very few events can.
Overall, the Olympics is an institution our world is not ready to let go of, and the incredible athletes participating at the games should have their chance to leave their mark.
Alli Hering is from
St. Paul, Minn.
Her major is undeclared.
