Biden: U.S. delegates could 'boycott' Beijing Olympics

President Joe Biden Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

President Joe Biden: U.S. delegates, not athletes, could 'boycott' Beijing Winter Olympics

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 11/18/21

The 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing from Feb. 4-20 could be missing some recognizable American figures but seemingly won't be without athletes from the country.

As Deirdre Shesgreen and Tom Schad noted for USA Today, President Joe Biden confirmed Thursday he is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics amid pressure from activists over China's many alleged human rights violations and abuses. This would involve big-name delegates from the United States skipping the Winter Games entirely but would not prevent American athletes from participating.

Biden says he is "considering" a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics https://t.co/lH5G6iqHGB pic.twitter.com/bATFfBibOn
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) November 18, 2021

According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), First Lady Jill Biden served as the face of the American delegation at this past summer's Tokyo Olympics that were previously postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff led the American delegation for the subsequent Paralympic Games.

While some advocates around the globe are calling for the U.S. and other countries to embrace full boycotts of the upcoming Olympics, some would say such a decision would merely punish athletes who mostly train and compete without much fanfare for the better part of 47 months every four years. Any decision to completely boycott must be made by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, an idea USOPC chief executive officer Sarah Hirshland shot down last month.

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