Freestyle skier Gus Kenworthy, an advocate for LGBT+ rights, said on Saturday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should take a host nation’s stance on human rights issues into consideration when awarding the Games. Rights groups have long criticised the IOC’s choice of Beijing as 2022 host, and several countries including the United States and Britain mounted diplomatic boycotts to protest China’s treatment of its minority Muslim Uyghur population, which the United States deems to be genocide. China denies allegations of human rights abuses.”I am absolutely a fan of Olympics. I also think, that being said, because it’s the world stage and everyone is watching, there is an opportunity to create positive change and the IOC could help dictate that change by pushing on certain issues,” he said after the men’s freeski halfpipe final on Saturday.”Those issues are human rights issues,” he said.