A senior Italian International Olympic Committee (IOC) official has reportedly slammed the United States for including openly gay athletes in its official delegation for next month's Sochi Olympics.
For the first time since 2000, the US delegation to the Olympics will not include a president, vice president or first lady and President Barack Obama is sending three openly gay athletes - tennis great Billie Jean King, figure skater Brian Boitano and hockey player Caitlin Cahow.
According to the Huffington Post, Italian Olympic Committee member Mario Pescante said it is absurd that a country like US sends 'four lesbians' to Russia just to demonstrate that in their country gay rights have been established, adding that the Games should not be an occasion and a stage to promote rights that sports supports daily.
However, Pescante said he is not against gays, adding that he just wanted to make a point that politics should not be let to interfere with the Olympics.
As head of the IOC's International Relations Commission and a former IOC vice president, Pescante said he will put forth a proposal at the IOC session in Sochi so that in the future when the Olympic truce is signed at the United Nations, it also will have a section devoted to political protests.
The selection of the US delegation followed a furious backlash in the West over the Russian law banning gay 'propaganda', which has tarnished Russia's international reputation heading into the Games, the report added.