The Faces of a Politically Charged Winter Olympics

Uygher and Chinese cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang carried the Olympic torch for China in a controversial move by the games’ host nation. Source: NY Post

Despite the International Olympic Committee’s assurances that the Olympics are apolitical, the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing proved to be anything but. The IOC’s decision to name China the host country of these Olympics in 2015 has been heavily criticized on the basis of China’s alleged human rights violations. Dubbed “The Genocide Olympics,” opponents cite China’s mass detention and re-education of Uygher muslims in Xinjiang as well as the country’s rampant censorship of dissidents as reasons to boycott the games. China has pushed back, denying the existence of a genocide and limiting criticism within the country. As a result of this tension, some Olympic athletes are being pulled away from their sport and thrust into politics as they become the faces of an increasingly controversial Olympic Games.

One such Olympian is Chinese cross-country skier Dinigeer Yilamujiang. Despite being in her first-ever olympics, Yilamujiang was thrust into the spotlight when Chinese officials chose her to be the country’s torchbearer at the Olympic games. An honor traditionally given to the most well-known and loved athletes of a country, it came as a surprise to many viewers that Yilamujiang, a relatively unknown athlete of a small sport in China, was chosen. Critics have decried China’s actions as propaganda that intends to downplay its oppression of Uygher Muslims, as Yilamujiang is a Uygher athlete. In response, China claimed that the move was a show of ethnic unity in which Yilamujiang had “shown the world a beautiful and progressive Xinjiang'' and that she was “fully deserving of the honor.” At the games, Yilamujiang ignored and avoided Western news outlets, instead only giving interviews to Chinese state media. 

Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai was also the focus of controversy during these games, despite her not being a winter athlete. In November, Shuai made sexual abuse accusations against a Chinese public official on social media. Less than an hour later, the posts had been removed and Shuai disappeared from the public eye. After outcry from the tennis community, Chinese state media released videos and images showing Shuai alive and seemingly well. However, critics were quick to cite China’s history of using techniques such as intimidation to force coercion as a reason to doubt the videos. Even more suspicious, Shuai participated in an interview with a French publication in which the questions had been vetted by China prior to the sit-down, and she was only able to participate with a Chinese Olympic Committee official in the room. Thomas Bach, the president of the IOC, met with Peng Shuai at the Winter Olympics, where she was seen attending events as a spectator. Ultimately, the IOC has refused to investigate Shuai’s original claims as she has since recanted, prompting even more backlash from critics who believe she is not able to speak freely.

Shuai is not the only face of debate surrounding China’s censorship policies. American-born skier Eileen Gu, who won a gold medal for China in this games’ big jump competition, entered the fray with a reply to an Instagram comment on her account. On her post, one user claimed that it was not fair that she was able to use Instagram while millions of Chinese “don’t have internet freedom.” Gu replied with the following: “Anyone can download a VPN. It’s literally free on the app store.” The exchange has since been deleted but garnered outcry, as VPNs, or virtual private networks, have been largely removed from the app store in China. Critics highlight Gu’s privilege, as she benefits both from her freedom in the United States and fame in China. 

With the Games having already come and gone, debate surrounding the Chinese government’s treatment of its people — even when highlighted by athletes — didn’t do much to derail China’s Olympic showcase. Despite this, some athletes participated in a “silent boycott” of the Olympic games according to a report from Rolling Stone. The unnamed Team USA Olympians allegedly boycotted the opening ceremony, and other subtle activism has taken the form of jabs at China — one being American snowboarder Shaun White’s photo with a Tibetan flag. While no decisive action has been taken by the IOC to investigate or punish China, criticism will likely continue to mount as athletes become caught in the crossfire of this controversial Olympic Games.