Joey Cheek, Ex-Olympic Speedskater, Has Visa Revoked By China

Former Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities Wednesday, hours before he was set to travel to Beijing to promote his effort urging China to help make peace in the war-torn Darfur section of Sudan.

Cheek, the president and co-founder of a collection of Olympic athletes known as Team Darfur, was planning to spend about two weeks in China, when he received an unexpected call from authorities.

The 2006 American gold medalist said they told him they were denying him entrance into the country and were "not required to give a reason."

"I didn't see it coming," Cheek said. "I figured once they gave me a visa, I wouldn't imagine they wouldn't allow me to come in later. That was a big shock. I wasn't expecting to get a call the evening before I was leaving for Beijing."

White House press secretary Dana Perino said the U.S. would protest China's decision to deny the visa.

One of Cheek's key initiatives was urging the international community to persuade Sudan to observe the ancient tradition of the Olympic truce during the Beijing Games.

More than 200,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in fighting in the western Sudanese region since ethnic African tribesmen took up arms in 2003.

The Olympic truce dates to the ancient games in Greece, when fighting was halted to ensure athletes had safe passage to travel to and from the competitions. Attempts to revive the truce in modern times have met with only modest success, most notably in the Balkans during the 1992 and 1994 Games.

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Cheek said he has been upset by China's treatment of athletes involved in his cause and thinks the International Olympic Committee's rules that prohibit political protest go against the spirit of the games.

"I've been pretty unimpressed with the IOC's efforts in protecting athletes, for giving them any options," Cheek said.

IOC spokeswoman Emmanuelle Moreau said the IOC was aware from press reports that Cheek had been denied a visa.

"Visa applications from non-accredited persons do not fall within the IOC's remit, and we are therefore not best placed to answer you on this question," Moreau said.

Jim Scherr, chief executive officer of the U.S. Olympic Committee, called Cheek a "great Olympic champion."

"We think that it is unfortunate," Scherr said. "But it's between this government and Joey as a private citizen."

Cheek said he has been greeted warmly on his previous trips to China.

"I don't begrudge them the Olympics, I think they'll do well with them," Cheek said. "But there are so many of their government's policies that I find repulsive, especially for athletes who have no intention but to help someone else."

He had planned to attend a United Nations Olympic celebration and some charity events but wasn't planning any big Team Darfur demonstrations. Now he's scrambling to figure out how to draw attention to his cause back home in Washington.

"Of course I would have liked to have been there, advocating for a peaceful resolution," he said. "But we'll figure something out."

Comments

[Jeffin90019]

Let's see: The games intended to celebrate civility, sportmanship and inclusiveness are being held in the filthiest, most polluted city in the world, a city that is a part of one of the most repressive governments on earth, a government that is satisifed with the slaughter in Darfur if it helps the Chinese manufacturing empire further pollute and profit from the off-shoring of American and global jobs. The government closed the factories to ease the pollution, they banned half of the cars to ease the pollution, the bulldozed anything unsightly, and buried school children in the rubble of their shoddily built collapsed schools. Shame, shame on the Olympic Committee for choosing the trash can of the world to hold the games. I will not watch a second of the games. I believe the athletes should pack up and leave "for health reasons" and leave China waving its false flags of openness.

[1sparrow]

collprof- i understand you. why is w going there if its a pre-planned scenario for new diabolical international terror? well, (as reagan would say) there you go again. i remember the documentary that showed w reading to school children when 9/11 was full force- after he was told of the building being hit. depending on what info you have-he was doing somthing when new orleans was flooded. is anybody on the same page here?

[1sparrow]

let the games begin, he said. i know the game we've lived the last seven years. olympics is the original playground of terrorism. so this time its in china. asians are smart they know to copy a winning strategy. we'll see blood i promise you. we'll see more terror than you expect- already planned.

[homerun]

Good for him! If only Bush didnt sell the the US maufacting to them. Now they have us were they want us.

[collprof]

Then why is our Iraqi war savior in China giving China's government creditability by attending any event?

[Jeffin90019]

Because one criminal, repressive regime can truly appreciate another.

[NeoLiberal]

And Bush is not going to address human rights during his visit?

The timing is clearly a signal that China will not and does not tolerate dissent.

But then again,..... neither does our President.

Oh,..., that's why he's going---he'll feel right at home.

[gvc]

I organize international scientific conferences and competitions for high school and college students. The United States capriciously denies visas, or simply does not respond to visa applications, so often that it is nearly impossible to hold a successful international event in the U.S.

This occurrence would be routine for the INS.

[chinationreport]

Excerpt from a blog written by a 'Silent, Silent Chinese'
When we tried Communism, you hated us for being Communists
When we embrace Capitalism, you hate us for being Capitalists.

When we reached a billion People, you said we were destroying the planet.
When we try limiting our numbers, you say it is human rights abuse.
...
When we buy oil, you call that Exploitation and Genocide.
When you fight and invade for oil, you call that Liberation.

A lot of you got the point, why mind our own backyard first?

http://www.chinationreport.com/#EditorsChoice
http://blog.chinationreport.com/2008/08/03/what-do-you-want-from-us/#respond

[Furby]

Well said.

[wjb0965]

Hard to argue with that....

We like to forget that we have the largest stockpiles of chemical and biological weapons on the planet and that we are the only country to ever use an atomic weapon to kill other human beings. But we are the "good guys" so we have a right to tell other countries how they should model our peace loving, democratic way of life....and if they don't listen....we start dropping bombs on them.

China might be a different story though....they might actually put up a fight with their superior numbers. We should be happy that they are only adding lead to our toys and poison to our dogfood. They could make me surrender for a plate of General Tso's chicken and some Won Ton Soup as long as there's no MSG involved....whatever the hell that is.

[wjb0965]

I can't believe that I am about to defend China...ugh.

People keep complaining about politics getting in the way of the games. They say that it should be about the sports and the athletes. Now, they are complaining because China is not allowing this guy to enter the country because he is going to use the games as a political platform. He isn't denying that fact. He clearly stated that this was his intention.

Also, the headline is a bit misleading. It makes it look as though they are keeping out one of our top athletes so he can't win. He wasn't going to China to compete. He was going as a political activist. I can't understand why he is now so shocked. Why doesn't he go to the UN to speak to world leaders about the problem? This is probably the best thing to happen to his cause. He's getting press because of the denial. Do you think anyone would have paid attention to him if he was allowed to enter China?

Now I'll leave it to all of the Captain Obvious' out there to tell me how bad China's government is. Apparently, this is a new revelation.

[anotherbozo]

What would happen if other speed skaters threatened a boycott unless Cheek were reinstated? Do any have the conviction to do so? I know, I know it would take a huge sacrifice to put one's Olympic dreams on the line. But if I were a skater, I'd at least consider it.

[SurrealPumpkin]

The skaters only compete in the Winter Olympics.

[helonias]

perhaps if he signed a loyalty oath

[Tulu]

China and every dictator it helps know how to play the game of US politics. Al dictator have to do is pretend or fake things they can do prevent terrorism or play how much they care for their own people. For example, Ethiopia the failed state and may have about 2 million orphans due to HIV AIDS epidemic courting to Angelina Jolie to build a clinic. http://www.ethiomedia.com/altar/7021.html
There is nothing wrong with that except making in the headlines of MSM that Ethiopia’s regime some how cares for its own people. Do you know that more a 100,000 were imprisoned after May 2005 election in Ethiopia? There are still in order of 50,000 or so still imprisoned mostly youth and intellectuals.

Again, we need to be consistent in our action on fundamental rights of people everywhere in the world not peak and chose particularly when we are providing financial muscle to these regimes.

[SwingVoter]

Apparently China understands the rule of the game. ;}

[KOisGod]

Well Duuuuhhhh, this IS COMMUINIST China Joey, not France. Maybe you thought the chainsmoking Chinamen would just let you stand outside the venue's with your little sign. Noble objective, wrong country.

[susane07]

Let's face it - the USA has become a terrible place under W. Now we kidnap, torture, evesdrop and a million other dispictable acts daily around the world. China, however, has always been bad politically in the way it treats its own citizens. I remember thinking when China was selected that this was a big mistake - too many people locked up in prison unfairly, too much pollution, not supporting a free press. What was the Olympic Committee thinking - that they would CHANGE the way they conduct themselves? Hardly.