Olympics controversy

[Calhoun07]

I can't say I have been following this with any great interest, but it's been getting on the regular news broadcasts, so I am sure you've heard about it already. It regards the Canadian skating team that lost to the French skating team and the Canadian team claims that there was politics and other influential elements that caused the judge to rule against them. I haven't seen the footage of them skating, but I guess that a lot of people agree the Canadian team did actually deserve to win the gold medal.

So what do you all think? I know that if the judge did allow his judgment to be influenced at all, that is immoral, but really, is this any different than all the politics that rule the voting in award shows like the Grammys and the Emmys and the Oscars? You can't expect me to believe this is the first time this kind of thing has happened, and there are those out there who are acting like it is. I say if they can get the gold medal to the Canadian team, then I am going to demand that they give the best picture to Star Wars in 1977 rather than to Annie Hall and that Jimmy Neutron be taken out of the running for best animated movie and Waking Life gets it's fair shot.

[Kal-el]

I did see the performances of both teams. The Canadians got the shaft. The royal shaft. They knew they deserved gold, the media knows it, the fans know it. It's a shame that so many Olympics are marred with undertones of corruption and scandal. The sense of the games is really diminished because of this. It really is too bad.

On a lighter note...the female half of the Canadian pairs team is one of my new favorite hotties. Yowza! She's perty...but I digress...

[Nightflower]

Russian, not French. They've won gold for 38 years straight, I think. The controversy is that the Canadians skated a nearly flawless performance (If not flawless), and the Russians fell during their number and the presentation was kind of lacklustre anyway.

I'm surprised that the Americans are more outraged than the Canadians.... then again, a lot of articles refer to the team as "North American" and not "Canadian". :p

[ccffan01]

I believe the only way to resolve this is to give both teams the medal. This way eitheir teams cant fell cheated. Even though both teams probably think it should have been just them not the other team.

[The Dark Knight]

Originally posted by ccffan01
I believe the only way to resolve this is to give both teams the medal. This way eitheir teams cant fell cheated. Even though both teams probably think it should have been just them not the other team.
I don't think the Olympics does that, and I hope they never do, only one team deserves it. I didn't see either performance, but it sounds like they were cheated. Is it possible they would get other judges to look over the two performances and see if the decision should be changed, or is the final decision already made?

[Jimmy Kustes]

I never see newspaper comics up-to-date

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ft/2002/ft020214.gif

[Nightflower]

There's already an inquiry being made into the judgement. Also, the French judge has admitted to being "pressured" into giving the Russian team the medal in return for the Russians favoring them in some other ice skating program.

Actually, I feel kind of sorry for the Russian team- from the look on their faces on the podium, it was as if they also believed they didn't deserve the medal and was only up there because of political shenanigans.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Originally posted by Duncanzits
I never see newspaper comics up-to-date

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/ft/2002/ft020214.gif

Obviously, this is such a common occurrence that a comic strip artist was able to unintentionally predict it beforehand.

In "Heart of the City," they did a strip on Julia Roberts winning the Oscar the morning after she won.

What does this mean?

This means that comic strip artists are clairvoyant.

[batboy2001]

Originally posted by Leaping Larry Jojo


Obviously, this is such a common occurrence that a comic strip artist was able to unintentionally predict it beforehand.

In "Heart of the City," they did a strip on Julia Roberts winning the Oscar the morning after she won.

What does this mean?

This means that comic strip artists are clairvoyant.

A little luck, a little chance, and some guessing. :D

[Jimmy Kustes]

Comic book artists are rich, don't forget rich. And that is all that matters. :D

In fact I don't think they care if they predict the future because chances are they sometimes become backwards clairvoyant and predict things that are the total opposite of what happened.

[Ruffian]

I've been watching, and from the best solution I've heard is to award the Canadians a gold medal as well. The Russian pair who skated had nothing to do with the controversy, and the Canadians said themselves, they don't want to bring them down but to pull someone up. They've been very sportsmanship like from interviews and meetings, especially Sale and Pelletier.

Scott Hamilton has said undertable wheelings and dealings have been going on in the sport since its beginnings. From pasts events I've seen, it's high time something is done. It's unfair to athletes who've put so much effort to actually go out that one day and compete for all it's worth. I feel really bad for Canada, they've come so close to winning Gold so many times, but something always happens to push them down, and it's not due to their skating ability either.

Actually the Russian team is happy they have the gold. In interviews, Sikharulidze said they won it fair and square, and that Canada was not better than them because they scored lower. :p

[Barb Gordon]

I didn't even remember to watch the figure skating, darn it, but I was hoping that Canada would do well and beat the Russians. The Canadians did perform flawlessly, and the guy in the Russisan team tripped or fell, so they did not have a perfect run, And yet they still run, that beyond sucks. Yes, they'll probably give out a second gold medal. But it's completely ruined for the Canadian couple. They never got to experience that moment of winning gold like the Russians got to do again. And they'll never get to have that moment, and that's absolutely not fair or right. I want to say a thing or two to that wimpy French judge who is being called "emotionally weak". Sadly, judges who do these like this are still allowed to judge, can you beleive that? They should never be able to judge again. I also feel sorry for the Russians, they must feel somewhat embarassed. They wanted to earn that medal, and they didn't. They got that moment which the Canadians should have had and they know it. Both couples got cheated, but the Canadians more. Not to mention Olympics itself. The judge has really hurt the image of the Olympics and that bites. I'd say that they should do the skating over again, but of course it wouldn't work and there's not reason for it. But it just doesn't seem right that both teams should have gold either. I can't believe how much this judge has ruined things for the couples figure skating of the year 2002.

Barb^-^

[Jedi Knight]

Originally posted by The Dark Knight

I don't think the Olympics does that, and I hope they never do, only one team deserves it. I didn't see either performance, but it sounds like they were cheated. Is it possible they would get other judges to look over the two performances and see if the decision should be changed, or is the final decision already made?

Actually, the Olympics DOES do that, and they HAVE done it before. I can't remember the year (I think Atlanta 1996), there was a synchronized swimming event where the score by one of the judges was typed incorrectly and it cost the Canadian swimmer the gold medal. A few months after the Games ended, they awarded the Gold medal to the Canadian swimmer as well (though they didn't take the original Gold away from the other winner).

Seems like us Canadians always get screwed, eh? ;)

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Canadians always lose because they have no political pull in the international community. It's politics, you know it, it's always politics... :D

[The Dark Knight]

I did not know that. I can understand they wouldn't want to take it away, but would the original winner still want it knowing they didn't earn it?

[Salvor]

Originally posted by The Dark Knight
I did not know that. I can understand they wouldn't want to take it away, but would the original winner still want it knowing they didn't earn it?
It's not that easy. They did earn it. They were good, believe me, and to me just as good as the Canadians. And I agree with whoever said it, the best way to set things out would be to give two gold medals... sure it's almost never been done before but it sounds fair.

Personally what makes me sad is the fact that a French judge is involved in this... and above all the fact that the American media are so happy to lash out against France for that matter. It's just one single person for god's sake!

[Nightflower]

I don't know about the athletes, but if it were me, I'd rather have an official admission and apology from the judges than a gold medal.

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

Rewarding two gold medals only happened in 1960 and in 1928, but never in Pairs' Skating. I don't mean to sound self centered, but that was OUR gold medal!! Like Salé and Pelletier said, it's not going to change anything. They won't get the gold medal. They're in this big thing, and it's just going to give the judges a kick in the behind, nothing more.

More so, I saw the replay of BOTH pairs. The Russian male almost FELL and the Russian female almost locked her KNEE. Salé and Pelletier did a FLAWLESS skate. I am mad!! :mad: That was OUR MEDAL!! :(

[batE]

Well, looks like the Canadians will get the gold after all. Gold medals for the Russian pair -- who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the judging brouhaha -- and gold for the Canadians, who deserved it in the first place. Congrats to all the Canadians on the board!


batE

[Killtacular]

The Patriots didn't want Canada to win, but people went against their will.

I bet the French judge had the list of names!

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by batE
Well, looks like the Canadians will get the gold after all. Gold medals for the Russian pair -- who had absolutely NOTHING to do with the judging brouhaha -- and gold for the Canadians, who deserved it in the first place. Congrats to all the Canadians on the board!


batE

Heh, thanks. I just hope this isn't the kind of "Oh, just give them what they want to shut them up and get everyone to forget about the judges" reward though ;) I hear the French judge is not allowed to judge anymore or something like that. Emotionally weak..... what rubbish!

[Pilmedium]

My family watched it. I think the gold medal should be taken away from the Russians, but that's not going to happen.

I hate corrupted judges, but who doesn't? The Russians?

[Nightflower]

Originally posted by Pilmedium
My family watched it. I think the gold medal should be taken away from the Russians, but that's not going to happen.

I hate corrupted judges, but who doesn't? The Russians?

Well- it wasn't the fault of the Russian team. I am glad that most people and the media say "Oh, those darn judges!" instead of "Oh, those darn Russians!"

[Brian Cruz]

I don't have much to add... but I'd like to say that Jamie Sale is incredibly beautiful, as is speedskater Catriona Le May Doan. Canada wins the gold for most babes!

[DisneyBoy]

I saw the skate on Monday, cheered and had my jaw drop to the floor. They deserved gold. The sport and athletes deserved more respect. This has been driving me nuts all week, but now that I know they'll get gold medals, I can sleep again!

ALL CANADA LOVES YOU JAMIE SALLE AND DAVID PELLTIER!!! XOXOXOXO

[The Dark Knight]

It wasn't the fault of the Russian team, but that doesn't mean they deserve the gold medal. I think they should receive the silver medal, it may not be as prestigious, but it's the medal they earned, and that makes it more significant than any chunk of gold.

[ccffan01]

Originally posted by Brian Cruz
I don't have much to add... but I'd like to say that Jamie Sale is incredibly beautiful, . Canada wins the gold for most babes!


Oh yeah she is hot i saw her picture in the times. DAMN!

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

I've bet you've all heard by now:

Jamie Salé and David Pelletier have gotten the gold medals!! Yes!! We have GOLD MEDALS!!

:D

[ccffan01]

Originally posted by Sailor Chibi Otaku
I've bet you've all heard by now:

Jamie Salé and David Pelletier have gotten the gold medals!! Yes!! We have GOLD MEDALS!!

:D

The hot one desereved the medal.

[Sailor Chibi Otaku]

And they're married to each other. I didn't know that. The important thing is that they got the gold and are bringing it home!!

:D :D

[ccffan01]

Originally posted by Sailor Chibi Otaku
And they're married to each other. I didn't know that. The important thing is that they got the gold and are bringing it home!!

:D :D

Dang she aint avaliable