Olympic News Dump

[xoxoxoBruce]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...080503798&pos=

BEIJING, Aug. 6 -- The Chinese government on Tuesday revoked the visa of 2006 Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek, effectively barring the speedskating champion and social activist from attending the 2008 Beijing Games.

Cheek is co-founder of Team Darfur, an organization composed of athletes attempting to draw attention to human-rights violations in Darfur. China is a major customer of the oil produced in the war-torn region of the Sudan.

Cheek said in a telephone interview Tuesday night (Eastern time) that he received a call shortly after 5 p.m. from someone either from the Chinese embassy or consulate who informed him that his visa had been revoked.

"I asked for a reason, and they said we don't give reasons," said Cheek, 29, a part-time Washington resident who was scheduled to leave for Beijing on Wednesday afternoon.

He said his visa request had been granted a few weeks ago. "I said, who else can I speak to about this, and they said, 'There is no other recourse.' "

Cheek said that Team Darfur's co-founder, former UCLA water polo player Brad Greiner, had received a similar call about 10 minutes earlier.

The two had planned to attend the Games, which officially open on Friday, to support more than 70 Olympians from around the world who have signed on to support Team Darfur.

The action by Chinese officials is precisely the sort of measure that has been feared by those with misgivings about the IOC's decision in 2001 to award the Games to China: that the country's officials would thwart the free expression of visitors to Beijing and muzzle dissent among activists both inside and outside the country despite promises to the contrary.