Seven athletes have been effected by this decision:
Athletes from Iraq have been banned from taking part at this summer’s Olympic Games, the International Olympic Committee has announced.
The team was already the subject of an interim ban after the Iraqi government replaced the country’s Olympic committee with its own appointees.
Under the IOC charter, all committees must be free of political influence.
As a result the team of two rowers, two sprinters, one archer, one weightlifter and one judo competitor cannot attend.
More about the dispute that lead to this unfortunate outcome, here.
Here’s a video of the hopeful and dedicated athletes training:
I can’t even imagine their disappointment. These athletes have risked their lives, training in a war zone, only to be told they can’t participate for reasons beyond their control.
July, 24, 2008 at 11:38 am
What could have been an uplifting and inspiring story is instead crushed. That this happened to a free country is unsurprising. That anyone on the Left denies the Left’s inherent fascism is amusing but still sad.
Who has the authority to charter an Olympic committee in any country? Why weren’t Soviet or Chinese athletes previously banned from competition? Am I to believe that the Soviet Olympic Committee was immune to influence from the Kremlin. I’m sure the Chinese Olympic Committee was free to come and go as it pleased and to say anything its little heart desired.
Sorry about the particularly tasteless comment yesterday.
July, 24, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Don’t worry about it, Cranky. We all have our moments.
July, 29, 2008 at 11:54 pm
[...] wrote about the banned Iraqi athletes, here, last week. It’s really a shame that nothing can be done about the remaining five, who still [...]