Word: montreal
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...victims of our own success," says Douglas Roby, a U.S. member of the IOC. "We have created the greatest forum in the world for political statements. What happens on our stage attracts more attention than what happens at the United Nations." Television, which estimates the audience for the Montreal Olympics at more than a billion, has been a major factor. Munich demonstrated fully the shock value of the Olympics as the stage for global drama. The Black September terrorists who attacked the Israeli team in the Olympic Village knew their act would command the world's attention as none...
...precedent set by Canada in Montreal gives far too much power to politicians. Until now the IOC has held the exclusive right to determine which nations should participate; it has banned both South Africa and Rhodesia for practicing apartheid in the selection of their Olympic teams. Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau in effect annulled the IOC's power when, to placate Peking, he ordered that Taiwan could not compete under the name Republic of China. For the first time, the host country was superseding the supranational...
...mercy of political blackmailers. The threat of some future withdrawal from the Olympics by a bloc of nations puts great pressure on the IOC-and now also on the host government-to exclude the object of the boycotters' wrath, especially if it is only one small country. The Montreal walkout in protest against New Zealand was, to say the least, highly selective, totally symbolic. For one thing, it was aimed at the presence in South Africa of a racially integrated New Zealand team playing a non-Olympic sport. For another, at least 25 other nations participating in this year...
...developments of the past fortnight are all the more alarming because the 1980 Olympics are scheduled for Moscow. Judging from Soviet newspapers last week, the bitter political legacy from Montreal could have profound-and potentially disastrous-effects on the Games in Moscow. Commenting on the Montreal events, Moscow's authoritative Literary Gazette wrote: "The Olympic Games are not just a major sports festival but are one of the fronts of fierce struggle between the supporters and opponents of international cooperation and mutual understanding." By supporters, the Soviets mean their allies and Third World nations; opponents are everybody else...
...Olympics have become too politicized," says Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who rejected an invitation to visit the Montreal Games because of the disputes. "They are supposed to be a sporting event for athletes. It is the responsibility of the International Olympic Committee to decide which athletes compete. The host country only provides the facilities and should have no say over the athletes' participation." The State Department considered pulling the U.S. team out of Montreal in protest over Canada's handling of the Taiwan issue. Said a high State Department official last week, the potential complexities...