The Olympic Games are inextricably intertwined with global politics.
A clear reminder came on Wednesday, when the Chinese government revoked the visa of former Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek. Cheek is the co-founder of Team Darfur, a Washington D.C.-based group of athletes hoping to raise awareness about the crisis in the war-ravaged Darfur section of Sudan.
Cheek has been outspoken about his concern that China might squelch political protest surrounding the games. But he was surprised by the rescinding of his visa.
"I didn't see it coming," Cheek told the Associated Press. "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."
Cheek planned to spend a couple of weeks in China, says Team Darfur spokeswoman Martha Bixby. He received a visa on July 1, but he learned it was revoked "less than 24 hours before he was to leave," she says. "The Chinese said they weren't required to give a reason."
So many athletes "are drawn to this issue," Bixby says, referring to Darfur. "To me, this fits in with the Olympics, which are about the world coming together for the betterment of mankind."
Team Darfur also supports an Olympic truce, which calls for a pause in conflicts around the world during the games. Such a moment, Bixby says, might be an opportunity for resolutions.
Cheek, who won the gold for the U.S. in 2006, launched the nonprofit organization with UCLA water polo player Brad Greiner in the summer of 2007. There are more than 390 members, and some 72 athletes competing in the Olympics and Paralympics have signed the group's charter.
Greiner was told that there are problems with his visa, Bixby says, and he was going to the Chinese consulate in New York to meet with officials Wednesday morning.
At the White House, press secretary Dana Perino said the U.S. government would protest the decision by the Chinese.
Since 2003, more than 200,000 people died and 2.5 million were displaced in the war-weary western Sudanese region. Protesters around the world — athletes and non-athletes — have argued that China's trade policies in Sudan ignore basic human rights issues.
When asked for comment about Cheek's visa, the Chinese Embassy directed an NPR reporter to the press counselor. The press officer did not answer his phone and his voice mailbox was full.
China also has denied a visa to Kendra Zanotto, a 2004 bronze medalist in synchronized swimming, Bixby says. Zanotto, an American, was planning to go to the games as a freelance journalist.
In an interview with Melissa Block on All Things Considered Wednesday, Cheek said that he "didn't have any protest planned" during his time in China and he told athletes not to wear any Team Darfur gear because it was against the rules.
The Olympics, he said, "have a role in mitigating conflict."
"I was quite surprised I got the visa in the first place," he said. "The whole incident seemed kind of bizarre to me."
In one poignant turn of events, track team member Lopez Lomong — one of the so-called "Lost Boys of Sudan" and a member of Team Darfur — was chosen by the U.S. Olympic team captains in China to carry the U.S. flag at the opening ceremony.
Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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