WASHINGTON—Lawmakers on Monday urged U.S. Olympic officials to prepare to defend American athletes from possible Chinese regime retaliation should they choose to speak out about the regime’s rights abuses during next month’s Beijing Winter Olympics. A Chinese official told reporters in January that any behavior against the Olympic spirit, and “especially against Chinese laws and regulations” would be subject to punishment. Senator Jeff Merkley and Representative James McGovern, both Democrats, cited the remark in a public letter to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC), writing that risks to freedom of expression and data privacy at the Games “demand an urgent effort” to address. “Chinese authorities have imposed exit bans on U.S. citizens, and even jailed foreign nationals, for political or specious reasons,” said the lawmakers, who lead the U.S. Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The USOPC should “redouble efforts” to engage with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), fellow national Olympic …