Who said that the Olympic Games wasn't politicised?

Question

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080730/ttc-oly2008-0de2eff.html

Answer 1

They've been used as a political tool ever since 1936.

Just depends on who's hosting them as to whether we mention it or not.

Answer 2

As I recall, the IOC took the position that the Olympic Games oughtn't to be politicized in 1980, when they were pressuring the U.S. (then hosting the Winter Olympics) to not boycott the Moscow Summer Olympics.

At the same time, the IOC forced the ejection of the whole Taiwanese team from the Games because China objected.

In other words, the IOC has been politicizing the Olympic Games for many years, and any claim to the contrary is pure bilge.

Answer 3

The whole IOC is rotten and corrupt and has been for decades.

Answer 4

Protesters being rounded up and spirited away until the farce is over.

Hundreds of families forcibly evicted from their homes to make way for stadia and accommodation for athletes and officials.

Chinese government actually saying it was a political success to be awarded the games.

Tibet.

Protests will be allowed - if the protesters first obtain permission (!!!!!!!) - in small areas nowhere near the Olympic events (and what will happen to the protesters when it's all over?).

Complete and utter failure to make the slightest effort to improve human rights within China, as promised to the IOC, during the "bidding war". In fact, worsening human rights since then.

There is obviously nothing in the least way political about this festival of pure sport!!!

I do not feel any need to sympathise with sports men and women. Whilst recognising that they want to participate in events that are held on this scale only once every four years, and their extreme dedication and skill in their chosen area, there are other international competitions being held all over the place on a regular basis. If they want to prove they are the best in the world at whatever they do, there are plenty of opportunities for them to compete. Had they integrity as well as skill and dedication, they would have collectively caused this disgracefully farcical show to be moved to a different country, or cancelled. There would be no Olympics if they didn't attend.

I will definitely not be watching it, and neither will I read any newspaper reports.

If I were Chinese and posted this response in China, the minimum that would happen would be that I would be put under surveillance.

I have lost patience with those poor deluded souls who continue the pathetically obvious, and odious, lie that these Olympics, particularly, is all to do with sport and has nothing to do with politics. Ostrich's would envy their ability to bury their heads in the sand.