Should Canada attend the Beijing Olympics?

In less than one month, Olympic athletes from around the world will be competing for their country in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Considering Canada’s sour relationship with China, should this country be sending athletes?

The Winter Olympics come every 4 years, and with it comes Nations cheering on their athletes, people who put everything on the line for the opportunity to compete in the Games. Canada has joined the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games. Athletes will still be able to compete but diplomats, like Canada’s Minister for Sport, will not be attending.

For more than two years, Canada—China relations were strained due to the “hostage diplomacy “ of the Two-Michaels after Huawei executive, Meng Wanzhou, was detained in Vancouver for the US. China has responded to the threat of a boycott with the promise of retaliation. To make the situation even more complex, China just threatened any athlete who engages in "protests" during the games. And then add in the Omicron variant spreading in China and around the world, and we've got a perfect storm brewing for politics and sport to clash at the World's biggest sporting event. 

Joining Ed Hand on our expert panel are...