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Olympic cyclists want apology after facemask incident

Published: Sep. 10, 2008

Four American Olympic track cyclists want an apology from the United States Olympic Committee for its actions in the wake of their decisions to wear protective facemasks in Beijing last month.

On August 4 Americans Sarah Hammer, Jennie Reed, Mike Friedman and Bobby Lea all stepped off their flight at Beijing’s Capital International Airport wearing black masks to protect against Beijing’s air pollution. The masks were issued to the cyclists from the sports science department of the USOC.

The actions sparked controversy in the international press, and the cyclists apologized after being pressured by the USOC.

"We offer our sincere apologies to BOCOG, the city of Beijing, and the people of China if our actions were in any way offensive. That was not our intent," the cyclists said in a public statement.

In a September 6 letter drafted to Mark Henderson, a chair of the USOC athlete advisory, the four riders charge that USOC staff acted inappropriately in the wake of the incident. The letter, drafted by their attorney, Christopher L. Campbell, states that USOC sports partnerships director Kelly Skinner publicly “berated and harassed” them for their decision to wear the masks.

The letter also charges that Steven Rousch, the USOC’s chief of sports performance, “called the athletes a disgrace and issued an ultimatum: Either write an apology or risk getting kicked out of the Games.”

The letter states that both Rousch and Skinner told the riders they violated Rule 51 of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) charter, which prohibits the displaying of any commercial, religious or political propaganda on Olympic grounds.

“The irony is that the USOC provided the masks to the athletes,” the letter reads. “They were recommended by Dr. Randy Wilber and had nothing to do with any type of demonstration. The masks were given to the athletes for performance reasons.”

In materials given to all Olympic athletes and the USOC, Dr. Wilber — the USOC’s chief physiologist — states that “it is highly recommended that ACF facemasks be worn in a polluted environment during non-training time of the day, for example, when walking about shopping, sightseeing, etc.”

None of the riders, who were all first-time Olympians, earned medals at the Beijing Olympics.

“The Athletes want three things,” the letter states. “First, a public apology from the USOC for the inappropriate conduct of its staff. Second, an unequivocal statement from the USOC that they did not engage in any inappropriate conduct. Third, systematic assurance that something like this does not happen to future Olympic athletes.”

Daryl Seibel, a spokesperson for the USOC, said USOC staff had spoken by phone to all four athletes to address their concerns. Seibel said the USOC has drafted a formal letter to be sent to the athletes, but that the document is not available to the public.