White House announces diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

USA TODAY

With the Biden administration announcing a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics, what does that mean for the U.S. team set to compete in February?

It shouldn’t impact American athletes in Beijing much at all, according to the White House. "The athletes on Team USA have our full support," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday. "We will be behind them 100% as we cheer them on from home. (But) we will not be contributing to the fanfare of the Games."

With 59 days until the opening ceremony, the diplomatic boycott over China’s "egregious human rights abuse and atrocities" casts a shadow over “what President Xi Jinping planned as a celebration of China’s wealth, power and status as a global heavyweight,” columnist Nancy Armour writes.

It’s too soon to tell how many countries may follow the USA’s lead. But the situation with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai has sparked outrage in the international sports community the last few weeks.

A man walks past the logos of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Winter Games in Shougang Park, one of the sites for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing on Dec. 7, 2021.

Here are more top storylines as we count down to the Feb. 4 start of the Beijing Olympics:

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