The Take

Did politics overshadow the Winter Olympics?

Gold medalist Peter Prevc of Slovenia holds an award depicting Bing Dwen Dwen, one of the mascots of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics on the podium. — 2022 Beijing Olympics - Ski Jumping - Mixed Team Final Round - National Ski Jumping Centre, Zhangjiakou, China - Gold medalist Peter Prevc of Slovenia holds an award on the podium. [Lindsey Wasson/REUTERS] (Reuters)

A diplomatic boycott led by the US. Strict COVID-19 pandemic measures. And athletes caught in the middle of political fights between nations.

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The 2022 Winter Olympics have ended in Beijing, China, but the biggest headlines were not about the games. American-born athletes with Chinese roots who competed for Team China found themselves at the center of a war of words between the two countries.

So are the Games still about sports, or do they represent a geopolitical rivalry under the guise of sportsmanship?

In this episode:

Jules Boykoff, (@JulesBoykoff) political scientist, author of NOlympians and Power Games: A Political History of the Olympics.

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Source: Al Jazeera