Boycott Ironman China seems like a far-fetched idea. However with the coming Olympic games China's regime has found itself in the spotlight like never before. Earlier this year Steven Spielberg resigned as an advisor for the opening/closing ceremonies citing China's connection to the government in Sudan and the controversy over Darfur. Presumably everyone reading this blog is against repression but does this mean you shouldn't participate in the Ironman race?
I very much respect organizations such as "Reporters Without Borders"
who call for an Olympics boycott. But I don't think that their aims
would benefit at all from a sports boycott--whether attending the Olympics games or participating in Ironman China.
Boycotts in sport are certainly not without precedence. Moscow in 1980 and then LA in 1984. Yet what did these really accomplish? The events were still held and the people most punished were the athletes themselves. Let's say that you decide that you cannot in good conscious attend the race. Will anyone know or care? Not likely. What happens if you do go? You'll interact with several hundred or more Chinese and have a chance to share your ideas as well as hear directly from them about these subjects. Worse by not going to China you mostly hurt the organizers and promoters who are trying to introduce Ironman racing to the country.
Unfortunately I have had to pull out of IM China because of an injured knee. However if not for that I would certainly be going to the race. As it is I my wishes go out to everyone training for Hainan and I hope that they have an incredible race and I feel the same for the final members of the U.S. Olympic triathlon squad.