The IOC lives in a wonderland of 18th century amateur ideals and are determined to remain apolitical which is practically a joke given the way quadrennial Olympiad has become the most politicised sporting event ever: Germany 1936 (Hitler v Jesse Owens), Mexico 1968 (Tommie Smith and John Carlos), various Olympiads 1948-84 (cold war politics), Munich 1972 (murdered Israeli athletes), Montreal 1976 (African boycott), Moscow 1980 (Western boycott), Los Angeles 1984 (reciprocal eastern boycott).
Despite the IOC website stating their belief that "sport is a powerful tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation" they show more agility than a gymnast when it comes to avoiding political questions in general and China's contravention of human rights specifically.
IOC president Jacques Rogge said last week. "NGOs and human rights activists want to leverage the games and ask the IOC to act along by their side. The IOC respects NGOs and activist groups and their causes, and speaks regularly with them but we are neither a political nor an activist organisation.
"The events in Tibet are a matter of great concern to the IOC. The IOC has already expressed the hope that this conflict should be resolved peacefully as soon as possible. The IOC will continue to respect human rights."
These ostriches need to stop hoping and start doing something.
In sweeping aside the Tibet issue, Rogge neatly passed the torch of protest and revelation to the media: "We believe that China will change by opening the country to the scrutiny of the world through the 25,000 media who will attend the games.
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