Abby Wambach and nine other U.S. athletes were on a "troublemaker" list created by the Chinese government before the Olympics. China gave the list to the USOC in July, warning that the athletes (most were members of Team Darfur) might protest and disrupt the Games.
Click on the USA Today story to watch the video of Abby Wambach being interviewed in April 2008 about human rights in China.
Interesting that 9 of the 10 listed are women.
Way to go Abby, and all the athletes on the list. That's like Paul Newman being on Nixon's enemies list, an honor to have been blacklisted by an opponent so foul.
Christine Brennan, USAToady: China listed U.S. athletes as possible troublemakers
China's government was so concerned about the possibility of athlete demonstrations in the Beijing Olympics that it created a list of nine U.S. athletes and one assistant coach it thought might cause trouble at the Games, according to an internal U.S. Olympic Committee e-mail obtained by USA TODAY.
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"This may be the biggest compliment of my life," Wambach, a member of Team Darfur, said in a phone interview when informed of the list. "If they're worried about us, maybe we do have more strength as athletes and as people to speak out. This just gives me more empowerment."
BEIJING WATCH LIST
The 10 Americans on Beijing's watch list, not all of whom were actually Olympians:
Jessica Mendoza, softball.
Jennie Finch, softball.
Natasha Watley, softball.
Amanda Freed, softball.
Karen Johns, softball assistant coach.
Laura Goodwin, golfer.
Abby Wambach, soccer.
Jonathan Page, cyclist.
Jen Howitt, Paralympic basketball.
Cheri Blauwet, Paralympic wheelchair racer
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