US Olympic Committee Rejects Call for Sochi 2014 Boycott

The US Olympic Committee (USOC) rejected calls to boycott the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics if Russia grants political asylum to Edward Snowden, stating that previous Olympic have been unsuccessful and it goes against the best interests of the country and athletes.

Spokesman for the USOC, Patrick Sandusky, said in a statement on Wednesday that the committee were deeply opposed to the boycott, citing the 1980 American boycott of the Moscow Olympic Games: “While we acknowledge the seriousness of the issues at hand, we strongly oppose the notion that a boycott of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is in our country’s best interests,” Sandusky said.

The United States boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow in reaction to the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan; in turn the USSR organised a boycott of the following Summer Olympics in Los Angeles in concert with several other Eastern Bloc countries.

One proponent of the boycott would be U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) who stated that he thought a boycott would send a clear message on the United States’ position on current Russian policies: “I love the Olympics, but I hate what the Russian government is doing throughout the world,” Graham told NBC on Tuesday. “If they give asylum to a person who I believe has committed treason against the United States, that’s taking it to a new level.”

The USOC, however, is firm in its opposition to the boycott. “Our boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games did not contribute to a successful resolution of the underlying conflict. It did, however, deprive hundreds of American athletes, all whom had completely dedicated themselves to representing our nation at the Olympic Games, of the opportunity of a lifetime,” Sandusky said. “It also deprived millions of Americans of the opportunity to take pride in the achievements of our athletes, and in their dedication and commitment, at a time when we needed it most.”