Open Door Policy Not in Effect for Princeton Medalist

by Dan Haley | August 7, 2008 at 1:03 am

Joey Cheek, 2006 Winter Olympic speedskating gold medalist and Princeton '11, was ready to troop off to Beijing to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur when he got a call from China. China had bad news: Cheek would not be joining his Olympic buddies in Beijing because his visa had been revoked.

When Cheek asked why he was being denied entrance, Chinese officials told him they were "not required to give a reason." Cheek, president and founder of Team Darfur, a group of over 70 Olympic athletes dedicated to raising awareness about the genocide, quickly realized China's decision to revoke his visa had something to do with his political affiliations. A little background knowledge: China has military, economic and diplomatic ties to Sudan.

Still, Cheek was stunned by the decision. In an AP interview, he said:

I didn't see it coming. I figured once they gave me a visa, I wouldn't imagine they wouldn't allow me to come in later. That was a big shock. I wasn't expecting to get a call the evening before I was leaving for Beijing.

Really? China doesn't want to let you come over and protest her policies while not competing in the Olympics? That doesn't sound like the China I know.

I should mention that Joey Cheek is the real deal: after winning the gold at the Torino Games Cheek donated his $25,000 Olympic bonus to Darfur and asked his fellow athletes to do the same. In Beijing, he planned to petition Sudan to respect the tradition of Olympic truce.

Wish you could have made it, Joey.

Cheek's reaction to the revoking of his visa after the jump.

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