Following film director Steven Spielberg's decision last month to pull out as an adviser to the Beijing Games opening ceremony over China's support for Sudan, the IOC were already bracing themselves for a wave of protests in the run up to the start of this summer's Olympics.But yesterday's crackdown in Lhasa has left many in the Olympic movement fearing that the Beijing Games could now be hit by a series of international boycotts, reviving memories of America's withdrawal from the 1980 Moscow Olympics over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Although European leaders yesterday dismissed talk of a boycott, one leading IOC member told the Daily Telegraph: "Clearly we are very worried about the situation. Our role is ultimately to organise a good Games but we have always been clear; when things start to affect the Games then we will react."
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