The AOC welcomes the Federal Government's support for the Australian Olympic Team's participation in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games to be held in February next year.
The AOC respects the fact that diplomatic options are a matter for government and that politics and sport should be separated.
Australia’s athletes are currently competing at events around the globe, hoping to qualify for the Games and earn selection in the Australian Olympic Team.
AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll says the arrangements for the Australian Team are not impacted by today’s announcement by the Prime Minister.
“We are heartened by the Prime Minister’s support for our Team and we thank the government for its assistance with arrangements to ensure our athletes can travel to Beijing and represent their country with pride.
“The AOC is very focused on ensuring that Team members are able to safely travel to China given the complexity of the COVID environment with our athletes departing from overseas locations.
“Getting the athletes to Beijing safely, competing safely and bringing them home safely remains our greatest challenge.
“Our Australian athletes have been training and competing with this Olympic dream for four years now and we are doing everything in our power to ensure we can help them succeed.
“Human rights are extremely important, but the considered view of diplomats is that keeping channels of communication open is far more impactful than shutting them down, Mr Carroll concluded.
The AOC is expecting to send approximately 40 athletes to the Beijing Games with the opening ceremony to be held on February 4th.
