KEY POINTS:
Equestrian Mark Todd says he will consider joining any peaceful protest against China's actions in Tibet if he is selected for the Beijing Olympics.
The double Olympic gold medallist, who has come out of retirement to try to qualify for Beijing, said it would be better to attend the Games and "voice your opinion" there than boycott them.
Demonstrators protesting against Chinese rule in Tibet have been shot during a week of escalating violence, with estimates of the number killed ranging from 12 to more than 80.
"I think you could probably do more while you were there in a peaceful sort of protest," Todd told The Press newspaper.
"I think athletes in general would be obliged to do something like that."
New Zealand Olympic team chef de mission Dave Currie said team officials would prefer athletes to refrain from political comment.
"The Olympics is about countries of the world coming together to compete," he told the newspaper.
"The International Olympic Committee has a view, which we subscribe to, that it is not an appropriate forum to be making comment about race, religion, creed or political stances whatsoever."
- NZPA
