Chinese Officials Listed Nine US Athletes As Potential Troublemakers In Beijing

Posted Oct 30, 2008 12:28PM By Sportz Assassin (RSS feed)

Filed Under: China, USA

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USA Today is reporting that the Chinese government listed nine United States athletes and one assistant coach as potential troublemakers during the recent Beijing Olympics. Chinese officials felt this group of people posed a threat to ignite demonstrations against the country during the Games.

The names included softball players Jennie Finch and Jessica Mendoza and soccer player Abby Wambach, who broke her leg and missed the Olympic Games. It also included two Paralympians, one athlete who wasn't a member of the 2008 softball team and a top female collegiate golfer. Golf is not an Olympic sport.

"We viewed these concerns as being entirely unjustified and unwarranted," USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said in an e-mail Wednesday. "As such, we rejected the request to address this with our athletes or transmit the letter to them. We saw absolutely no need to burden the athletes with this."

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Here is the entire list: Softball players Finch, Mendoza, Natasha Watley, Amanda Freed, assistant softball coach Karen Johns, women's soccer player Abby Wambach, cyclist Jonathan Page, paralympic basketball player Jen Howitt, paralympic wheelchair racer Cheri Blauwet and golfer Laura Goodwin.China was concerned that any or all of those athletes would say, wear or do something that would be a form of protest against the nation. The list was given to USOC officials in July and cited these athletes since most of them participate in "Team Darfur".

There were rumblings that Team Darfur, a group of athletes who are raising awareness about Sudan's wiping out of African tribes in the Darfur region, would stage some sort of mass demonstration during the Olympics. China has been heavily criticized for supporting the Sudanese government.

Needless to say, the athletes named felt a bit honored that they were deemed such a threat.

"This may be the biggest compliment of my life," Wambach, a member of Team Darfur, said in a phone interview when informed of the list. "If they're worried about us, maybe we do have more strength as athletes and as people to speak out. This just gives me more empowerment."

"It doesn't surprise me but it makes me laugh," said Mendoza, who also is president-elect of the Women's Sports Foundation. "We're not burning our shirts and ranting and raving. We're just trying to help thousands of people from dying."

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