French athletes to steer clear of political protests

France's two-time Olympic canoe champion Tony Estanguet said on Tuesday that French athletes did not want to be part of any political campai...

France’s two-time Olympic canoe champion Tony Estanguet said on Tuesday that French athletes did not want to be part of any political campaign to snub the Beijing Games’ opening ceremony.

Human rights activists and France’s leftist opposition parties have urged Paris to take a hardline stance towards Beijing on the issue of Chinese-ruled Tibet.

“We, the athletes, we do not want to be used by any propaganda,” Estanguet, who will bear the French flag at the opening ceremony in Beijing, told reporters.

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“We understand the cause. But we do not want to work with people who insult sports, sports people and the Olympic values.”

Chinese paralympic fencer Jin Jing had to shield the Olympic torch from protesters denouncing Chinese policy in Tibet during the torch’s journey through Paris earlier this month.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy has said he might not attend the opening ceremony if there is no progress on the issue of Tibet.

The Olympics run from Aug. 8 to 24.

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