Games of the XXIX Olympiad: Beijing 2008

[Kataphraktoi]

They filed a protest because Martina stepped on the line of his lane during the run.

What kind of loser would accept or want a medal on a clearly disqualified run?

Judging from your post, you seem to have a strong sense of fairness here. To be fair, why dont we just hand out the medals on a percentage basis to make sure the little countries get some feel-good, too Why compete at all with rules, and hurt peoples feelings?

Or am i not allowed to comment on this since it was a US runner that was disqualified?

[Maquiladora]

Wow... the judges overturn a Chinese (who is a double Olympic Champion BTW) victory in the women's taekwondo and send GBR's Sarah Stevenson through to the semis The Chinese did quite clearly get kicked in the face too. Just a shame she didn't own up to it herself.

From BBC text:

"I said beforehand that the Brit might have to decapitate her opponent to go through to the semi-finals - and she very nearly did! Maybe they required her to spit down her neck afterwards."

[Maquiladora]

'Av some o' that



looks like she's gonna lose to the Mexican now, but still she knocked out the cheating Chinese

[Grandpa Troll]

TAE KWON-DO!!!!!

/me is biased though

[Grandpa Troll]

Cuban athlete banned for life after kicking taekwondo referee

BEIJING (AP) -- A Cuban taekwondo athlete and his coach were banned for life after Angel Matos kicked the referee in the face following his bronze-medal match disqualification.

Cuban coach Leudis Gonzalez offered no apology for Matos' actions during the men's over-80 kg (176 pounds) match.

Matos was winning 3-2, with 1:02 in the second round, when he fell to the mat after being hit by his opponent, Kazakhstan's Arman Chilmanov. He was sitting there, awaiting medical attention, when he was disqualified for taking too much injury time. Fighters get one minute, and Matos was disqualified when his time ran out.

Matos angrily questioned the call, pushed a judge, then pushed and kicked referee Chakir Chelbat of Sweden. Matos then spat on the floor and was escorted out.

"He was too strict," Gonzalez said, referring to the decision to disqualify Matos. Afterward, he charged the match was fixed, accusing the Kazakhs of offering him money.

"This is a strong violation of the spirit of taekwondo and the Olympic Games. The sanctions are the following and are effective immediately: Lifetime ban of the coach and athlete in all championships sanctioned by the (World Taekwondo Federation) and at the same time, all records of this athlete at the Beijing Games will immediately be erased," said the announcer, reading a WTF release.

In his first match, Matos defeated Italy's Leonardo Basile, then beat China's Liu Xiaobo 2-1 in the quarterfinals. But he lost to South Korean Cha Dong-min in the semis to land in the bronze-medal match.

"To me it was obvious he was unable to continue," Chilmanov said. "His toe on his left foot was broken."

Matos won the gold medal in this division at the 2000 Sydney Games, dedicating the victory to his mother, who died on the day of the opening ceremony. At the 2004 Athens Games, he finished 11th.

Matos' tantrum followed a day of confusion on the mats.

Totally unacceptable behavior on Cuba's part

EDITTED IN A PICTURE




EDITTED A SECOND TIME, A VIDEO OF THIS MATCH AND MISCONDUCT

[Asher]

Matthew Mitcham

One of the only 2 openly gay men at the Olympics (there's 8 lesbians I think...) captures a gold in the 10m diving to displace the Chinese from a sweep in the diving events. It was a spectacular dive, like 112 points.

[Jaguar]

Ah, but is he cute, Asher?

[Asher]

Of course.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Asher
Of course.

[SlowwHand]

Nastia Liukin trains at the same gymnastics facility as Carly Patterson. About 6 miles north of me.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Nastia Liukin trains at the same gymnastics facility as Carly Patterson. About 6 miles north of me.

[Asher]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Nastia Liukin trains at the same gymnastics facility as Carly Patterson. About 6 miles north of me.

What a cruel name, though.

[-Jrabbit]

It's short for Anastasia. So I'm thinking it's her choice.

[Hercules]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Nastia Liukin trains at the same gymnastics facility as Carly Patterson. About 6 miles north of me.

A beautiful to watch performer. And with a normal bodyshape. Somehow you don't feel she has been restrained in her natural physical development.

[Hercules]

I also watched the women's rhythmic gymastics final and the top three produced wonderful displays.