When I first saw this story on Sportsnet.ca’s website, I thought Australia was actually putting a full-on boycott for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It turns out that the Australian Olympic Committee just wants their athletes to spend as little time as possible in China. Among other things, they claim
- Beijing is so polluted that they don’t want their citizens breathing the air in the city
- They don’t want their athletes drinking anything but bottled water
- All meals should take place in the Olympic village, and no food should be consumed outside of it
This is really too bad. I’m sure a huge part of the Olympic experience is to take in the culture, people and the country that the games are happening in. To have your own leaders telling you not to do those things kind of sucks.
For another reason not to tune in to the Beijing Olympics, click here.