Protesting Winter Olympics athletes ‘face punishment’, suggests Beijing official

Organising committee official warns against any behaviour or speech that is against the Olympic spirit'

Any athlete behaviour that is against the Olympic spirit or Chinese rules or laws will be subject to certain punishment", a Beijing 2022 official has said in response to a question about the possibility of athlete protests at next month's Winter Games.

It comes shortly after human rights advocates told athletes they were better off staying silent for the duration of the Games and amid concerns over the online security of attendees' data contained in a mandatory phone app.