U.S. Athletes Proud to Make China List

(ATR) U.S. soccer star Abby Wambach says she is flattered to be listed as a potential Olympic rabble-rouser by the Chinese government.

"This may be the biggest compliment of my life," Wambach told USA Today. "If they are worried about us, maybe we do have more strength as athletes and as people to speak out. This just gives me more empowerment."

Wambach, who broke her leg before the Games and did not compete in Beijing, was one of nine athletes - plus an assistant coach -- the Chinese government feared might stage a political demonstration at the Olympic or Paralympic Games. Some were affiliated with Team Darfur, an athletes' coalition trying to bring awareness to the crisis in the war-ravaged area of Sudan. Protesters argue that China's trade policies in Sudan ignore basic human rights issues.

Jessica Mendoza was one of four softball players on the list.

"At first it made me laugh," Mendoza told the Los Angeles Daily News.

"But then when I thought about it, it really makes me think their guilt runs pretty deep. We never said anything about China, we never called them out. We were trying to raise awareness about a massive genocide in our world. If anything, I feel like them creating this list calls them out."

"We're not burning our shirts and ranting and raving. We're just trying to help thousands of people from dying,” said Mendoza, president-elect of the Women's Sports Federation.

The other athletes on the list were softball players Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley and Amanda Freed (who did not make the team); cyclist Jonathan Page; Paralympic wheelchair racer Cheri Blauwet; Paralympic basketball player Jen Howitt and golfer Laura Goodwin, whose sport is not in the Olympics.

Assistant softball coach Karen Johns was also named.

There were no athlete protests on the medal podiums during the Games. Joey Cheek, the Olympic speedskating gold medalist who co-founded Team Darfur, had planned to go to Beijing, but his visa was revoked by the Chinese government hours before his departure.

At the U.S. Olympic Media Summit in Chicago last April, Mendoza said that athletes have the visibility -- as well as the responsibility -- to help spread the word about the atrocities in Darfur.

"So many people don't know this is happening," she said. "As athletes, we can be great advocates for this awareness. The normal person may not be able to get as many ears as we're going to get."

Shu Xiao, a representative of the Chinese embassy in Washington, gave the list to members of the U.S. Olympic Committee Government Affairs Division during a meeting in early July.

Darryl Seibel told Around the Rings that the U.S. government did not become involved.

"In response, we simply notified the Embassy (in person) that we saw these concerns as being unwarranted and, as such, saw no need to bring them to the attention of the athletes."

According to a USOC internal e-mail obtained by USA Today, the Chinese felt the U.S. Olympic team members intended to display banners or wear apparel or wrist bands bearing political slogans.

"Shu appeared quite concerned over the prospect of such demonstrations and asked what we could do," the e-mail said.

The U.S. State Department said in a statement that it had seen media reports about the list.

"During the run-up to the Olympics, we discussed with Chinese authorities their concerns about the potential for protest actions by Olympics athletes or others attending the Games," the statement said.

"At the time we made multiple representations to Chinese authorities regarding the importance of respecting freedom of expression, and we continue to stand by these views."

An IOC spokeswoman said questions about the list should be referred to Chinese officials.

Written by Karen Rosen.