U.S. would only boycott Beijing over athlete safety

By Steve Keating

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The United States would only consider boycotting the Beijing Olympics if China was unable to guarantee athlete safety, United States Olympic Committee (USOC) chief Jim Scherr said on Tuesday.

Following recent protests over China's human rights record and stance on Tibet, Scherr was asked what could force the U.S. to pull out of this year's Games.

"If there is a point that we cannot guarantee the safety of the delegation we would look at whether or not we would send a team," Scherr told Reuters.

"However, we feel absolutely good about China's preparations on security and the safety of our delegation.

"We're committed to sending a team, we have accepted an invitation and we have nothing else under consideration at this point and time."

From 16-year-old gymnast Shawn Johnson to 39-year-old modern pentathlete Sheila Taormina, most of the U.S. Olympians taking part in a three-day USOC media summit have been asked about political issues.

Demonstrations along the Olympic torch relay route through London, Paris and San Francisco have taken the spotlight off the Olympics and put it on Tibetan anti-Beijing protests, sparking calls for a boycott.

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