Nikki Haley: US May Skip 2018 Winter Olympics

With the Winter Olympic just around the corner, athletes, who’ve been training over the last 4 years, are preparing to take the global stage for their chance at glory. However, it seems that this time around, no Russian athletes will be competing, as the nation has been banned from the 2018 competition thanks to widespread doping.

It’s a huge blow to the nation’s pride and prestige, and has caused predictable outrage from the Russians. It will also be a significant loss in terms of the quality of athletes, as the Kremlin is always one of the most formidable of all nations. But even more concerning are recent comments made by the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, which have called into question America’s participation in the event.

As reported at NBC News, Haley made the shocking comments on Thursday, saying that “no official decision has been made” in regards to the United States’ participation in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in South Korea.

Haley was first asked about the games on Wednesday night while making an appearance on Fox News. When asked if it was a “done deal” that American athletes would be competing, Haley said it was an “open question.”

“I have not heard anything about that,” she added, “but I do know in the talks that we have — whether it’s Jerusalem or North Korea — it’s about, how do we protect the U.S. citizens in the area?”

Haley’s comments sparked immediate head-scratching and fear amongst participants, which prompted a spokesperson for the US Mission to the UN to say that Haley’s statements were taken out of context.

“The United States looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in the Republic of Korea next year,” the spokesperson said. “As always, the protection of American citizens overseas is our most important priority. We remain closely engaged with the Koreans and other partner nations to secure the venues as we do every Olympics.”

On Thursday afternoon, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders cited security concerns when she said going to the Olympics wasn’t set in stone. But “the goal,” she said, is for athletes to compete.

Just minutes after the press briefing ended, Sanders clarified her remarks in a tweet saying that “the U.S. looks forward to participating” in the Olympics and helping to ensure the venues are secure.

While security concerns are always a high priority when it comes to the Olympic games, especially with them being held next door to the highly aggressive North Korean regime, it’s a little ridiculous to make the decision without the consent of the athletes. They train their entire lives for these few short weeks, and know that they may never get another chance. So whenever nation’s talk about willfully not competing, it’s allowing politics to punish the athletes over something that only tangentially has anything to do with them.

The good news is that it looks like Huckabee and Haley were being a little hyperbolic about the US not participating, so it looks like we’ll get to see America’s best athletes on display come February.

Source: NBC News