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Athletes in a test competition for the Olympic Games next year
Photo: via www.imago-images.de / imago images / VCG
The White House in Washington has put an end to the turmoil surrounding a possible US boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
"We have not and will not discuss any boycott with allies and partners," said Jen Psaki, press secretary for US President Joe Biden.
The National Olympic and Paralympic Committee of the USA USOPC had previously spoken out against such a measure.
"We at USOPC reject boycotts of athletes because it has shown that they have a negative impact on athletes without global problems to be addressed effectively," said USOPC President Susanne Lyons at a media conference for the US Olympic team.
On Tuesday, spokesman Ned Price from the US State Department said that because of the human rights violations in China, he and other nations would consider staying away from the Games (February 4th to 20th).
That got the ball rolling.
General confusion later developed around these statements.
Because spokesman Zhao Lijian from the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Wednesday that the Americans later explained their statements and made it clear that they are not seeking a boycott.
The US State Department put it similarly in a statement to the TV broadcaster CNBC.
Psaki's explanation ultimately provided clarity.
mfu / sid