U.S. to protest Olympian's exclusion

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE, Aug 6 - The United States will protest to China over its decision to revoke the visa of Olympic gold medalist Joey Cheek, an activist on the African region of Darfur where China is accused of failing to help end the crisis.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino told reporters traveling to Beijing with President George W. Bush that Washington was "disturbed to learn that the Chinese had refused his visa. We are taking the matter very seriously".

"We have sent in our embassy in Beijing to demarche the Chinese. That is where we go in and say we are concerned about this and we want you to reconsider your actions. We would hope that they would change their mind," Perino said.

Speedskater Cheek is co-founder of Team Darfur, an international coalition of athletes campaign to draw world attention to the humanitarian crisis in which an estimated 200,000 have died and 2.5 million are displaced.

The conflict has dragged on for five years since rebels took up arms against the Sudanese government, which has China as a close ally, source of arms and investment partner.

Cheek, who won a gold at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics, was about to depart for the Games in Beijing when he was told by the Chinese Embassy that his visa had been revoked. Team Darfur said they were given no explanation.

Cheek said denial of the visa was "part of a systemic effort by the Chinese government to coerce and threaten athletes who are speaking out on behalf of the innocent people of Darfur".

Senior U.S. Olympic Committee officials in Beijing said earlier that they regretted the exclusion of a fine Olympian but Cheek's visa problem was a matter between him and the Chinese authorities.

(Reporting by Matt Spetalnick; writing by Douglas Hamilton)

(editing by Jon Bramley)

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