At a Winter Olympics overshadowed by controversy over China’s record on human rights, the issue of what participants can and cannot say has loomed larger than at any Olympics in years.
Athletes have found themselves caught between activists urging them to use their celebrity to speak out and the rules of the International Olympic Committee that restrict what they can say and where.
The opening ceremony would traditionally be a grand stage for statements of protest or messages of support for the rights of marginalized communities, but few were expected on Friday. While human rights campaigners said they had heard from dozens of athletes seeking advice or what they could — or more important could not — say, some national teams, including the United States and Canada, have warned their athletes about potential legal jeopardy in speaking out.