U.S. ski racers discuss their country’s diplomatic boycott and the great unknowns surrounding the Beijing Olympics

United States and World Cup ski racers are doing their best to remain focused on qualification for the Beijing Olympic Winter Games despite the “political noise” and uncertainty swirling around the event with now less than 50 days to go.

US. president Joe Biden declared the U.S. government’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games on December 6, an action designed not to hinder the athletes competing in any way, while taking a stance in protest of China’s human rights abuses.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki stressed that Team USA athletes will have the full support of the administration, although the government will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing Olympics or Paralympics given China’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity towards the Uyghur Muslims in the Xinjiang province.

World Cup skiers – who are competing in Super-G and downhill races in Val Gardena, Italy this Friday and Saturday – shared wide-ranging opinions about the fast approaching Games, the diplomatic boycott and ongoing political turmoil, as well as their general uncertainty.

“There’s a lot of unknown and until we know what’s defined and what’s expected, I’m just going about it day-by-day, hoping that I’ll have the opportunity to race there,” said U.S. skier Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who appears to be well on his way to qualifying for his second Olympic Games.

Asked specifically about the diplomatic boycott Cochran-Siegle responded, “It’s interesting, but as an athlete all I’m really focusing on is just competing. With the Olympics there’s always politics involved and it’s not really up to me to make any decisions or comments, but I’m excited to go if I get this opportunity.”

Cochran-Siegle’s teammate Jared Goldberg is adamant that the U.S. government actions will not in any way affect him or the team’s performance as he seeks to qualify for his third Olympic Games.

“It doesn’t bother us at all and it’s not going to change a single thing that we do over there – our government is making a statement about some of the things that China is doing, so good for them,” Goldberg tells Around the Rings in Val Gardena.

“I support their decision because we have our freedoms and believe strongly in it, and hopefully it makes a statement that we believe what they are doing is wrong,” he said.

China has denied allegations and says the diplomatic boycott violates “the principle of political neutrality of sports established by the Olympic Charter and runs counter to the Olympic motto `more united,’ according to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

Bryce Bennett says his career priorities are not necessarily winning medals at the Olympic Games, but rather making his mark at classic downhill races, steeped in history and tradition, such as Kitzbuehel, Austria and Wengen, Switzerland. Both races are annually contested in January, leading up the Olympics.

“Who knows, we’ll figure it out – we’re going to fly over there, race, fly home and try to enjoy it,” Bennett says, about potentially competing in his second Olympic Games, while noting that he is “not paying attention” to the news or politics surrounding China’s first Winter Games.

“I care about the Olympics, but my priorities are World Cup downhill races like Kitzbuehel and Wengen.”

Cochran-Siegle – who comes from a Vermont family of prominent ski racers, including his mother Barbara Ann Cochran, who won Olympic slalom gold at the 1972 Sapporo Games – has mixed feelings about his family being unable to see him compete in Beijing considering that family and spectators are not permitted to enter China.

“Obviously, my mom and some of my cousins and aunts and uncles have experienced this, but a lot of my family hasn’t,” Cochran-Siegle says about his family previously attending Olympics Games.

“As far as going into China, it is what it is – sometimes it’s nice to be there alone and focus on my skiing and not have to worry about taking care of the family as well.”

Following Biden’s lead, Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau announced Canada’s diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games just two days after the U.S.

Canadian ski racer Brodie Seger says he is also striving to remain focused on skiing fast as he aims to qualify for his first Olympics, while leaving everything else to his superiors.

“There’s a ton going on in the world right now and for the time being nothing is guaranteed right now – I’m still trying to do what I need to qualify for these Olympics, so right now I’m doing my best to tune out the noise, and trust that the Canadian Olympic Committee and the government of Canada is making the right decisions for us,” Seger says.

With recent calls for additional diplomatic boycotts of the games by some G7 nations, the European Union met this week to address the issue further. Italy has already expressed they will not be issuing any form of a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Games, and it appears many EU nations feel the same.

Italian mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala confirmed he will travel to Beijing to take part in the ceremonial flag handoff for the next Olympic Games.

Veteran Italian skier Matteo Marsaglia, 36, says his focus is punching his ticket to compete at his second and most likely, last Olympic Games.

“It will be a strange one for sure as it has been sometimes in the past,” says the Italian racer, originally from Rome. “These last two Olympics were a bit strange because Russia and South Korea are two countries where ski racing is not popular and they barely have slopes.

Beijing will be strange because of this same situation and the diplomatic protest. For sure, it will be a historic Olympics and I hope everything will go well, we can put sport first and then afterwards all the other things.”

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