[Olympic][b]WE WERE ROBBED!!![/b]

[Left-handed Hummingbird]

I love figure skating, but the time difference being what it is, I only saw it early this morning.

Our TV commentators were clearly fans of the Russian pair - until the Canadian pair began. My God they were fantastic. The Russians were very, very good - no doubt about that - and they were worthy silver medalists, but the Canadians made an almost faultless skating. In my mind there was no doubt that they were going to get gold and I was shocked to see the results. It WAS a split decision though, half of the judges had the Canadians as winners IIRC, but not by enough.

Yes, IMHO, you were robbed.

With that said I have to say that judging the expressiveness of figure skaters must be one of the most subjective things judged in the games. Sometimes you just like the style of one pair over another.

 

[Berandor]

That's figure skating.

I like itfor the grace and choreography, but you mustn't take the results as a measure.

Skating judges have a history of misjudging; frankly, when I saw the Canadian pair and heard our reporter go overboard on their doubtlessly perfect performance, I hoped the judges wouldn't do their thing again.

Yes, you were robbed. Big.

Berandor

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

More personal bias seems to come into play during figure skating than any other olympic event, especially the pairs skating.
The only, ONLY excuse the judges have that could make them seem credible is that the Canadians program was less difficult technically. But who cares? The Russians flubbed their program! Game over. The Chinese tried a harder move than the Russians, does that mean they deserved the gold despite the woman falling on her butt? Apparently not, so it shouldn't apply to the Russians either.
This pissed my friend and I off too (and I could hear my mother ranting from the family room), what a ripoff.

IMO, the Canadians were robbed...

 

[Old One]

Canada got hosed...

I rarely comment on threads like this (and watch figure-skating even less), but the Canadian pair got totally $crewed. My wife and I saw both performances and was stunned when the the Russian Federation team won.

It was interesting to watch the body language of the Russian pair after the announcement and during the medal ceremony...they KNEW they had been beaten - that the better pair was getting the silver while they got an undeserved gold.

Those judges should be pulled around the rink by a zamboni for a while...

~ Old One

 

[Ashtal]

It's getting to the point...

...that I expect the Canadian's to get screwed. It happens too often to be mere coincidence.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I could not believe had bad the Canadians were robbed.

Everyone there knew they had a perfect run, the Russians had errors. It hurt to see the pain on their faces when the ranks came out. What made it worse was the 'bump' in warm ups.

I have always heard skating was a lot of politics and this goes to show that the system needs fixing...oh I sorry that was what happened!

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

I agree with all. Canada was robbed!

It's not the first time a controversial decision was handed down in skating, but this one seems worse than the other recent ones (in the 1990s).

Wow, I still can't believe it. And the Canadian skaters were a class act all the way. Were I in their place, I would have been shouting a big "F*** YOU!" to the judges.

And the US team easily out-performed the 4th place (Russian) team (and the bronze medal Chinese team). Hmmmm, I sense a trend. Where's Oliver Stone!??!?!

 

[Wild Karrde]

I don't have a lot of sympathy for any sport that is left up to judges. Granted those people are amazing and they bust there butts and work hard to do what they do but until they have some type of impartial system set up (with a computer or something) you're always gonna hear about people getting robbed.

That goes for ice skating, gymnastics, synchronized swimming or any sport of that nature. Every sport has some type of official but i prefer the "referee" over the "judge" any day. Clear cut rules. A point is a point out of bounds is out of bounds.

Sorry it's always been a pet peave of mine. I can't tolerate judged sports for the most part. Even if I do enjoy watching them. The scoring and commentary always hurt me.

 

[Psion]

Insert "me too" post here.

I totally understand when the announcer said that this was an embarrasment. It's like the judges were afraid to not let the Russians win. No doubt they did a good job, but seriously, Canada was robbed.

 

[Don]

Re: It's getting to the point...

...that I expect the Canadian's to get screwed. It happens too often to be mere coincidence.

Yeah. I remember the last Olympics (or was it the one before) where the Canadian team was totally shafted during a boxing match. The announcers were even complaining that the judges weren't counting some of the guy's solid hits. It was a disgrace.

As much as these sports are a part of the Olympics, it would be nice if every game could be measured by a machine instead of a corrupt human.