After Beijing bubble bursts, can the IOC save the Olympics?

By EDDIE PELLS
AP National Writer

BEIJING (AP) — The cordoned-off Olympic bubble that folds up when the closing ceremony ends has produced its usual collage of amazing athletes doing great things. This journey, however, has all been viewed through a lens warped and sterilized by Beijing’s organizing committee with underwriting from the Chinese government itself. The ultimate sponsor is the International Olympic Committee, which has been under fire for producing Games that, to many, have felt soulless while also being tainted by scandal and political posturing. As the IOC pulls up stakes from Beijing, it has 29 months to hit the reset button and hope for a different, COVID-free and much better vibe when the Summer Games go to Paris. The lingering question is whether athletes and fans can trust this enterprise anymore.