American athletes may not wave Tibetan flags or hold up gloved fists to protest the genocide in Darfur during the Beijing Olympics this summer, but some of them used an Olympic conference Monday to voice their concerns about China's policies.Most athletes speaking on the first day of the U.S. Olympic Team Media Summit opposed efforts to disrupt the Olympic torch relay, which dodged protesters in San Francisco on Wednesday. Instead, they said, people should use the Games, and the world forum they provide, to help foster peace and understanding through athletics.
For some athletes, that understanding includes confronting difficult topics.
"Issues that ignite constructive conversation are almost always good," said Patricia Miranda, a wrestler from Saratoga who won a bronze medal in 2004. "I think it's an athlete's right to have their 15 minutes and say, 'Thanks for your support, but there's a genocide going on.' I think it's all right if my Olympic glory is overshadowed by (stories of) people getting shot."
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