SportsChina Revokes Gold Medalist's VisaChina Revokes Gold Medalist's VisaThe Associated PressFormer Olympic speedskater Joey Cheek had his visa revoked by Chinese authorities Wednesday, hours before he was set to travel to Beijing to promote his effort urging China to help make peace in the war-torn Darfur section of Sudan. (Aug. 6)Former Olympic champion Joey Cheek says he's been told he's no longer welcome at the upcoming Beijing games.SOT CheekA little bit after the close of business hours I got a call from the Chinese consulate here in Washington and they basically told me the visa they had given me a month earlier was revoked and no longer valid.Cheek won gold and silver medals in speed skating in 2006 and now heads a group of athletes that's urging China to help stop the genocide in the Darfur section of Sudan.Some 200 thousand people have been killed in the ethnic clashes there and another two and a half million have been displaced by the fighting.China has strong ties with the Sudanese government and Cheek says while he wasn't given an explanation as to why he's being barred he's sure his role as president of Team Darfur is what's keeping him out.SOT CheekI've been a pretty vocal critic the international community has played in not doing more to protect the citizens of Darfur and I think China has a role as Sudan's largest trading partner.Cheek says he wasn't planning any protests during his visit and had urged Olympians who have signed on to his site not to do anything that would put them at risk.However he says he believes China is breaking the spirit of the games by trying to silence him.SOT CheekIt seems like it about more than sports when it's convenient and only about sports when it's convenient. And I find that frustrating. If you're going to set an ideal you should live up to it.Olympic officials are calling the decision to keep Cheek away unfortunate and the White House says it will log a protest. ___ ___, The Associated Press.

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