U.S. Cyclists Critical Of USOC's Role In Air-Mask Controversy

Lea Upset With Way USOC Handled Air-Mask Controversy

U.S. Olympic cyclists Mike Friedman and Bobby Lea, who wore air masks through the Beijing airport upon arriving for the Olympics, yesterday spoke out about the USOC's reaction, and Friedman, who wore a pollution mask upon his arrival in Beijing, said the USOC "threw us under the bus," according to Shelly Anderson of the PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE. Friedman: "They completely hung us out to dry." Lea added of the USOC, "I was really upset with the way that we were treated. ... They should have taken more responsibility -- maybe publicly supported us and behind the scenes slapped our wrist. It's hard to say what kind of a toll that could have taken, but, for sure, our first five days at the Olympics were terrible." Friedman "estimates he has received more than 15,000 hate e-mails from around the world." Friedman: "It definitely took away from my Olympic experience. I lost a lot of sleep. I read every one of those hate e-mails." Friedman: "It showed me that the USOC separates themselves [from athletes]. They made it more of a story when they said, 'We're going to make you guys apologize.' They forced us to. We weren't trying to offend the Chinese, but we weren't sorry that we wore the masks. The way they just strong-armed us, the way they showed us no support after they told us to do something is just really hard for me to get a handle on." Anderson notes both Friedman and Lea "waited until after they competed ... to say what needed to be said about the ugly situation." USOC officials could not be reached for comment (PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 8/20).