„We will therefore be there once again to serve the world’s best athletes as they compete on the global stage,“ Omega told Newsweek.
Omega, an official sponsor of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, shrugged off the U.S.’s diplomatic boycott of the games, saying they will continue „to serve the world’s best athletes as they compete on the global stage,“ while other Olympic sponsors based in the U.S. have stayed silent on the controversy. Omega, the Swiss-based watch-making company told Newsweek that, „Our role at this event is Official Timekeeper, a vital position we have proudly fulfilled at the Olympic Games since 1932. We will therefore be there once again to serve the world’s best athletes as they compete on the global stage.“ The statement continued, „Our brand has absolutely no influence on decisions made by individuals or states in regards to attendance and we suggest that responses related to this matter should be directed to the International Olympic Committee (IOC).“ Earlier this week, the White House announced that they would be staging a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, citing China’s treatment of the Muslim Uyghurs in the country’s Xinjiang province. „The Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representation to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games given the PRC’s [People’s Republic of China’s] ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang and other human rights abuses,“ White House press secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Monday. According to Psaki, the diplomatic boycott does not apply to Team USA’s athletes competing in the games, saying that „We will be behind them 100 percent as we cheer them on from home.
