Poland’s top pole vaulter, Monika Pyrek, has called for a boycott of the opening ceremony of the summer Olympic Games in Beijing.

“The best solution is to boycott the opening ceremony as this isn’t a sport event. This would be a manifestation of solidarity,” Pyrek said.

In an interview for the Rzeczpospolita daily Pyrek said that there is no sense in pulling out of the Olympics completely. as some human rights organisations demand, pointing to numerous instances of human rights violation in China.

Pyrek, who has good chances of winning a medal during the Olympics, believes that boycotting the Games would only punish the sportsmen who worked hard to prepare for the event. (jm)