25 March 2008 - 09H09
France's Bernard backs Olympic opener boycott
France's newly crowned world champion Alain Bernard came out in support of boycotting the 2008 Beijing Games opening ceremony, saying it would send an important message. (Report: J. Creedon)
France's dual world recordbreaking swimmer Alain Bernard said on Monday that boycotting of the opening ceremony at the Olympic Games in Beijing in August would send an important message.
Bernard - newly crowned European champion in the 50metres and 100m freestyle as well as recording new world records in both events - told French television station TFI that it would be a show of strength by the politicians.
"Boycott the opening ceremony, why not," said Bernard, who has been the star of the European swimming championships which concluded in Eindhoven on Monday.
"It would be a huge message from the politicians. Boycotting is a very delicate question. As a sportsman, we will have an important role to play because what we are going to produce there, our results, will attract the eyes of the world.
"After that side of things, boycotting becomes a political decision. It is very delicate for us," he added.
Bernard's comments come amidst mounting anxiety over the crackdown on anti-Chinese protests in Tibet, which exiled Tibetans say have left at least 130 dead, and has overshadowed the build-up to the Games.
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Comments (1)
China always had lackeys !
Among the rudest news items on the surface of the earth is a boycott of the Olympics in China and then a reneged position about only the opening ceremony boycott! China is not among countries that fought for the Germans in the wars involving the world. I read it was against the Germany army. So this is very rare. However, to keep on listing the politics of a boycott of the famous games has aroused lackeys of the doctrines of China to kick out for a change. Who knows how rude is the thought of saying no to the Chinese?