Olympics-Beijing boycott not the answer says Canadian Olympic Committee

FILE PHOTO: People wearing face masks following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak are seen near the lit-up Olympic rings at top of the Olympic Tower, a year ahead of the opening of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, in Beijing, China February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang/File Photo

TORONTO (Reuters) - A boycott of the 2022 Beijing Olympics would not bring home two Canadian men detained in China for more than two years or force a change to China's human rights record but would only punish athletes, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) said on Thursday.

With the Feb. 4-20 Beijing Winter Games scheduled to start in exactly one year, the COC put out an op-ed confirming a commitment to take part in the 2022 Games as calls grow to boycott the event or have it moved from China.