This winter, the decision to hold the Beijing Olympics behind closed doors will rob the Games of one of its most telegenic moments, but it will also allow organizers and sporting officials to sidestep what could easily have turned into a geopolitical crisis.
All because of a boy and his bear.
When a bloodied and bandaged Yuzuru Hanyu last competed in China — in a heroic free skate at a 2014 Grand Prix event that clinched the young superstar a silver-medal finish despite several falls — the crowd responded with a standing ovation and a rain of stuffed toys onto the ice at Shanghai Oriental Sports Center.