Sports fans at New York City's Rockefeller Plaza reacted on Tuesday to what has been the US' comparatively little interest in this year's Winter Olympics amid Washington's diplomatic boycott of the competition in Beijing.
While US officials refused to attend this year's Games citing alleged human rights abuses in China's Xinjiang region, the country still sent its largest-ever delegation to Beijing, with a total of 224 athletes.
Despite the large number of American competitors, Team USA has only managed to pick up five medals - none of them gold - a fact which may have added to the Games' record-low television ratings in the States.
Speaking near NBC News' outdoor Chinese-themed Olympic studio, where the Games are being reported on from distance, some locals wondered if the extra pressure was affecting the athletes - or even simply having to be in China.
"I would guess that being in a totalitarian country is a difficult pill to swallow for you to be able to do your best," said one New Yorker: "It's a difficult situation for the athletes."
"We are almost at the brink of war with Russia and Ukraine - It's got to be a lot of pressure on those poor kids," she added.
Another local said he personally knew many people who were not watching because “They disagree with [the Chinese government's] beliefs and how they treat people."
The Beijing Winter Olympics kicked off last Friday, with a fireworks display marking the official start to the games.
While the event will host an estimated 60,000 athletes, including team officials, volunteers and media, the Olympic venues will remain inside a 'closed-loop system' amid fears of COVID-19 outbreaks spreading to the rest of Beijing and China.
This year's games have come under particular controversy due to attacks on host country China's human rights records, with many Western countries refusing to send officials.
The competition will last until February 20 and will be followed by the Paralympic Winter Games on March 4, lasting until March 13.

SOT, Sarah, New Yorker: "I think the athletes are perhaps under a lot of pressure, because of COVID lockdown. They probably have a lot of internal conflicts which affects performance. So I would guess that being in a totalitarian country is a difficult pill to swallow for you to be able to do your best. It's a difficult situation for the athletes.",

SOT, Sarah, New Yorker: "I feel bad for the athletes, because they trained their entire lives. And it's not just this one performance. It takes a lot of competitions to get to where they are, and then feeling the pressure. We are almost at the brink of war with Russia and Ukraine. It's got to be a lot of pressure on those poor kids."
SOT, Paul, Englishman in New York: "It's a bit low key isn't it I think this year, I don't know. I think, there's not not been much advertising at all, I think, not at home anyway."

SOT, John, New Yorker: "Yes I definitely think so. I know a lot of people who disagree with it and they won't watch it. I'm in construction and a lot of people don't watch it. They disagree with their beliefs and how they treat people."

SOT, John, New Yorker: "They have low ratings, I think they are down 40 percent on NBC. That's insane."

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