As the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing approach, scrutiny on China as a host is back in focus. Its on-going record of human rights abuses  - most recently, between the treatment of its Muslim minority to the subjugation of Hong Kong - is depressing. And, it's a legitimate question on whether such a regime should be showcased as host of a "sportswashing" event like the Olympics.

That this conversation is happening shouldn't come as a surprise. It was certainly previewed in the contest to host these Games. As more palatable candidates dropped out of the bidding race, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was left with two options in 2015: Beijing and Almaty. Despite experiencing similar concerns ahead of its hosting of the 2008 Summer Games, China really was the lesser of two evils...Kazakhstan was and is no humanitarian state, either.

So, Beijing it is, unless the IOC inconceivably decides to move the event. So, the calls for an Olympic boycott are increasing. Some of it is political grandstanding - in the United States, at least, an easy way to pressure the current administration while preaching righteousness. But athletes are chattering, too, while China remains defiant.

Which begs the question...do Olympic boycotts even work? Let's look at history.

1956 Melbourne
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Multiple nations stayed away from Australia's first Summer Games, for a variety of reasons. In response to the Soviet Union's invasion of Hungary just before the start of the Games, Spain, Switzerland, and the Netherlands pulled out. Egypt, Lebanon, and Iraq boycotted as a result of the Suez Crisis with Israel. And, China (the Peoples Republic) officially boycotted since China (Taiwan) was allowed entry. 

At that time, probably only the Netherlands' absence affected general competition quality. And, decades later, it's viewed by the Dutch as "the black page in the Olympic history for the Netherlands". It's hard to argue that the boycott influenced outside events, as the trajectories of the Cold War, Middle East crisis, and Chinese territorial fights continued well past 1956.

1964 Tokyo

Due to political discrimination at the separate Games of New Emerging Forces (GANEFO) in 1963, those participating athletes were barred from the 1964 Games. Thus, Indonesia and North Korea pulled all their athletes from the Olympics.

The resulting legacy of the 1964 boycott is simply a missed opportunity to see North Korean Sin Kim-Dan, then the world record-holder, compete in the women's track 800 meters. That had promised to be one of the more intriguing events on the track.

As for GANEFO? Built as a direct competition to the Olympics by Indonesia, it was officially dead by 1970.

Tokyo 2020: Fencer Andrea Cassara may have three Olympic medals from four Games, but he is far from the retiring sort.

Although most certainly headed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Athletics Integrity case against sprinter Christian Coleman reaches a decision. What really stands out in the news is, "But a key part of his alibi...appears to be an embarrassing lie".

The Olympic Channel​ gives some quick background on star swimmer Simone Manuel. Swahili!

The world's canoeists are thrilled to be back in competition, when and where they can find it.

"Wee Rooster" Brendan Irvine shares with the Irish Mirror his start in boxing, thoughts on being the sole Irish qualifier (so far), and more.

International karate competition makes a comeback at recent Polish Open.

Wrestling: Give the Japanese women's team credit, they relish a challenge. Hope they get it!

Field hockey player Brendan Creed is making the most of Tokyo 2020's year postponement as he works back from injury to solidify his place on Team Great Britain.

Olympic.org shares a particularly heartwarming Olympic romance memory: long jumper Diana Yorgova and gymnast Nikola Prodanov's marriage at Tokyo 1964.

I'm a year behind on this, but so are the next Olympics, so...just finished Roy Tomizawa's "1964: The Greatest Year in the History of Japan", and it's a must-read for Olympic aficionados out there. Inspired by his father's work as a journalist at Tokyo 1964, and by, as he notes himself, the dearth of '64 retrospectives, Tomizawa crafts a look back at those Games that recalls the charm and passion of David Wallechinsky's "The Complete Book of the Olympics".

That biennial encyclopedia had been a mainstay read for me and countless Olympic fact geeks, with its countless anecdotes and statistics. Although "1964" reminded me of the pain of missing Wallechinsky's works since he retired the title post-2014, it certainly brought back the joy of discovering background notes and anecdotes even for just one Games.

​From insight into the exploits of famed champions like Bob Hayes, Ann Packer, Yukio Endo, Billy Mills, Dawn Fraser, and Dick Roth (who has an appendix on exhibit!) to the charms of also-rans of like Sri Lanka's multi-lapped Ranatunge Karunananda and the unique Hong Kong field hockey team, "1964" offers a satisfying array of personal connection. Where Tomizawa shines, though, is his presentation of the 1964 Games as a "coming out" for the Japanese, primed to showcase themselves and Asia after a post-World War II rebuild and imposed introspection. The passion of the host nation to impress is laid bare through its hospitality - witness long jumper Diana Yorgova's Japanese wedding - to its rise in technology as visitors are wowed by Seiko's sporting emergence and the sleek bullet trains. (Japanese cameras were certainly becoming the must-buy for visitors then!). The hosts' rapt attention to the medal efforts of its women's volleyball team, marathoner Kokichi Tsubaraya, or judoka Akio Kaminaga against Anton Geesink showcase a competitive spirit to prove themselves on the world stage.

Juxtaposed is the sense of what Tokyo 2020 might portend. While 1964 followed a post-war reconstruction, 2020's Games follow a period marked by recession, earthquakes, and tsunamis, and a fall behind China in Asian prominence. Published in July 2019 before the Games' postponement, "1964" still is a relevant pre-cursor to those interested in the to-be, hoped-for grandeur of Tokyo 2020.

p.s. Find more of Tomizawa's work on his own Olympic blog, theolympians.co. There, he includes a treasure trove of images of action and ephemera, not available on at least my e-book edition. The site offers more in-depth reporting on his stories, plus additional retrospection on related personalities and events.

p.p.s. I also highly recommend Alex Kerr's "Lost Japan" from 1994, which showcases the author's intimate view of Japan and provides a wonderfully compelling perspective of the country today (er, in the 1990's) to compare against when viewing Tokyo in 2021.

Next up on my list...an interesting Irish Times column by running great Sonia O-Sullivan, reflecting on her career after reading "The Russian Affair" has prompted the book's place on my to-do reading list. Profiling the whistle-blowing athletic couple Vitaly and Yuliya Stepanov(a), "The Russian Affair", published late last month, promises to "read like a spy novel...and an epic love story". The coach and athlete got caught in the Russian system of doping, before going public with their experiences and helping spur attention to Russia's corruption in drug testing (and taking). O'Sullivan, like many, is wistful and frustrated when thinking about the Russians she competed against. As an Olympic fan, I expect to be similarly saddened by what has happened while hopeful that individuals like Vitaly and Yuliya have conviction.

Olympic Rule 50: Now this would be an impactful moment...would the IOC be that daring?

Could cricket make an Olympic return?

The New York Times provides a little retrospective on Tokyo 1964 on what would have been Tokyo 2020's midpoint.

The NY Times also looks at how skeleton athletes are experiencing head trauma and its aftereffects.

U.S. star Brady Ellison features in a new archery documentary, "Believe".

The Olympic Channel profiles Remco Evenepoel...might he succeed in road cycling gold?

More unfortunate evidence of Covid-19's pervasiveness...Wayde van Niekerk has a positive test.

Beth Tweddle looks back at the opportunity to compete with a home crowd at London 2012.

Speaking of gymnastics, Chellsie Memmel aims for a comeback.

Cross country running back in the Olympics? Yes, please...