INTERNATIONAL: Athletes considering making political statements during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will have to 'take responsibility' for what they say, Olympic organisers have side.

The IOC's Rule 50 forbids athletes from any form of protest at the Games to avoid bringing politics into the event.

A revision, however, prior to last year's Tokyo summer Olympics allowed athletes more freedom of expression within the Games while still banning such actions on the podium during medals ceremonies.

Athletes can now freely raise political or social issues at their press conferences and the Olympic village while also making their gestures on the field of play provided there is no disruption and with respect for fellow competitors.

Any statement or protest, however, requires the approval of a working group that includes among others the IOC and the international federation of the sport in question.

While there were several athletes who made political statements in Tokyo, including on the medals podium by American shotputter Raven Saunders which went unpunished, applying the same model in Beijing could have consequences for athletes.

Saunders had raised her arms and crossed them into an X, saying later it represented "the intersection of where all people who are oppressed meet."

Chinese laws are more restrictive in terms of personal expression than those in Japan, where athletes did not have to fear potential consequences by the state.

With the Beijing Games a lightning rod for activists around the world given China's human rights record, athletes will need to choose their moment carefully to express their views.