Canadian athletes will be in Beijing this summer to go for the gold at the Olympics. Prime Minister Stephen Harper said that the nation will not boycott the games because of China's overall human rights record and the political unrest in Tibet.
Boycotts in the past have not been effective according to Harper.
"I don't anticipate any kind of a boycott of the Games themselves . . . I don't see either in this country or internationally a push for that," he told a news conference.
"I would note that even the Dalai Lama has not called for such a boycott. "Experience would suggest that such boycotts are generally not effective and really, in the end, only harm the athletes involved who have trained for so many years to compete in these events."
That's not to say Harper will be going to the opening ceremonies on August 8 in Beijing. He and many other world leaders have decided not to attend. While some of the leaders are staying away as a form of protest Harper admits that he never had any intention on being there on opening night to begin with.
By not boycotting the events athletes who have trained for years to compete will not have to give up their dreams because of a political statement.
Ottawa will though have a high-level delegation sent to the ceremonies.
George Bush and Gordon Brown both plan on being at the opening gala. The German Chancellor though will be skipping it.
As politicians decide on whether or not their nation's athletes will be attending the games the torch moves in. A wave of protests have seen this torch's flame extinguished several times.
The torch will not travel in Canada.
