During the Olympics, he wisely refrained from commenting on the host nation. But now that the Swedish skating hero Nils van der Poel is back on home soil, he strongly criticizes the IOC’s choice for China. “I think it’s really terrible.”
The 25-year-old Van der Poel, who was much too strong for the Dutch skaters and won gold in the 5 and 10 kilometers, makes in an interview with the Swedish newspaper Sports magazine no murder pit of his heart. “I think it’s completely irresponsible to give the event to a country that is violating human rights as blatantly as the Chinese regime is doing.”
Van der Poel bit his tongue before going to China. “I don’t think it’s very wise of me to criticize a regime of a country I stay in,” said the Swede, who is still wary of his compatriots still active at the Games. .
Yet he dares to enter Sports magazine to make a comparison with the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, which were abused by the Nazis. “The Olympics are a fantastic sporting event where you unite the world and nations meet. But so did Hitler before he invaded Poland and Russia did before invading Ukraine.”
During the Games, he confessed, Van der Poel had not discussed politics with other athletes. The Swede had mainly enjoyed himself in the Olympic village. “It was a lot of fun, the Chinese people I met were absolutely amazing.”
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