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Aksel Lund Svindal in Kitzbühel 2019
Photo: CHRISTIAN BRUNA / EPA-EFE / REX
Former ski racer Aksel Lund Svindal has criticized the nations that do not want to host games with a view to the Olympics in Beijing. »Munich and Garmisch-Partenkirchen said 'no' to the Olympics, Oslo / Norway said 'no', also Innsbruck and Sion in Switzerland. We have to be grateful that the Italians took 2026 (Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, ed.), Otherwise it might have become a country again where people say: 'catastrophe', "said the Norwegian in an am Thursday published the podcast of the ARD “Sportschau”.
"We don't want to offer an alternative, but at the same time we say that China shouldn't do it," said Svindal, who won Olympic gold in 2010 in the Super-G and in 2018 in the Downhill and ended his career in 2019. "So we're also part of the problem, because what option does the IOC have if everyone says 'no'?"
Svindal is critical of an athlete boycott of the Games in China.
“I don't think that's fair to the athletes.
The decision has to be made by the sport, not the individual athletes, «said the 39-year-old.
He also called for a clear stance from the media.
"If you say that the Olympics in China are a catastrophe, then as a journalist I would also say: If the Olympics goes to China, we will not show any TV pictures, even if we bought the rights for a lot of money and do not report on them." said Svindal.
“As a journalist, you also have to have morals and you can't just hand over responsibility to the athletes.
We all belong to the system. "
China has been criticized for human rights violations in its dealings with Uyghurs and Tibetans, for suppressing the democracy movement in Hong Kong and for threats against Taiwan.
Svindal has won numerous medals at Olympic Games and World Championships in his career, including Olympic gold in 2010 and 2018 and five world championship titles.
He ended his active career in 2019.
ara / dpa
