Quake May Have Saved Beijing Games

'Few people care about the torch relay these days'
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted May 24, 2008 6:10 PM CDT
Quake May Have Saved Beijing Games
eople observe a minute of silence in remembrance of the May 12 Sichuan earthquake victims at the Good Luck Beijing 2008 China Athetics Open at the National Stadium in Beijing on May 22, 2008.   (Getty Images)

By pushing human rights and torch relay news off the front pages, China's massive earthquake may have revived an Olympics deemed "in crisis" only 2 weeks ago by the IOC chief, the AP reports. "I'm sorry to say it, but this has turned things around," said another IOC official.

"Frankly, few people care about the torch relay these days," said a Shanghai woman. "The earthquake killed so many people and caused so much damage. I think it should be a part of the Olympic opening ceremony." A Human Rights Watch researcher notes that 11 weeks remain before the Games and predicts that rights coverage will eventually resume. (More 2008 Beijing Olympics stories.)

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