MADRID, Spain _ The Beijing Olympics will be a success despite the threat of boycotts and Hollywood director Steven Spielberg's decision to pull out as an adviser to the opening ceremony, IOC president Jacques Rogge said.
"I hold much respect for Spielberg's decision and if an athlete doesn't want to go, I'll respect that, too. But the games will be a success, without a doubt," Rogge said in an interview published Tuesday in sports daily Marca. "The games are stronger than any one person."
Rogge expects many heads of state - including U.S. President George W. Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy - to attend the opening ceremony.
"All of the heads of state have said 'We will be present' and are not in favor of a boycott. Neither are the athletes," Rogge said. "I think boycotts are a thing of the past, not of the present nor the future."
Rogge reasserted that the International Olympic Committee would not tolerate athletes mixing politics with sport, especially on the podium.
"We don't want this to turn into a political demonstration. This is sport," he said.
The games run from August 8-24.
