US athletes heading to the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month have reportedly been told to leave their personal phones behind due to safety concerns.
According to the news published by The Wall Street Journal, Team USA encourages Americans competing in the games to buy disposable phones to prevent possible infiltration efforts.
Team USA and the International Olympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment.
The news came after the Biden administration confirmed in December that no US officials would attend the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, staging a diplomatic boycott against China’s human rights abuses. During a press briefing in December, press secretary Jen Psaki said, “Given the PRC’s ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity and other human rights violations in Xinjiang, the Biden administration will not send any diplomatic or official representatives to the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympic Games. “But the athletes on Team USA have our full support.”
The Winter Olympic Games are scheduled to begin on February 4, and a women-only sled competition includes seven new sports, such as the monobob.
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