Haley says US athletes could skip Korea games? Here's what Olympic officials say

After Nikki Haley suggested U.S. athletes might not attend the Winter Olympics out of concerns about North Korea, the U.S. Olympic Committee came out to say its plans to go to Pyeongchang haven’t changed.

“We have not had any discussions, either internally or with our government partners, about the possibility of not taking teams to the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games,” spokesman Mark Jones said on Thursday. “We plan on supporting two full delegations in Pyeongchang.”

South Korean officials likewise said they were planning on the U.S. participating in the games, according to the Washington Post.

“We haven’t heard anyone saying they aren’t coming,” said Winter Olympics spokeswoman Nancy Park. “We have regular communication with (American officials) and they always express their commitment of the athletes coming over to Pyeongchang.”

But speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Haley suggested it was still an “open question” that American athletes would go.

“I think those are conversations we are going to have to have, but what have we always said? We don't ever fear anything, we live our lives,” Haley said. “And certainly that is a perfect opportunity for all of them to go and do something they have worked so hard for.”

On Thursday, the White House also cast some doubt on the question. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters that “no official decision has been made” about participating in the Olympics, according to the New York Times.

Asked about whether the reason is security concerns, Sanders said “absolutely,” and suggested President Donald Trump may make the final decision.

“I think ultimately the president would certainly weigh in, Sanders said. “That’s something he would take into account, probably a number of the stakeholders that would be involved.”

But Sanders later tweeted that “the U.S. looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea. The protection of Americans is our top priority and we are engaged with the South Koreans and other partner nations to secure the venues.”

NBC, which will broadcast the Winter Olympics in February, issued a statement to the Post claiming the network is “in close contact with numerous security agencies, including the U.S. State Department, which continues to advise us that it is safe for Americans to travel to South Korea.”

Tensions with the U.S. have ratcheted up after a series of North Korean missile tests. Washington worries the isolated nation will develop an intercontinental missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead to the United States.

That’s sparked talk of war, a conflict that would inevitably impact North Korea’s neighbor and the Olympic hosts, South Korea.

This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 12:23 PM with the headline "Haley says US athletes could skip Korea games? Here's what Olympic officials say."