[Olympics] We Were Robbed! Part 2

[Ashtal]

Feel free to continue the ongoing discussion of the recent Pairs Skating Competition and it's fall out here.

Meanwhile I have to figure out why the heck the original thread is now an announcement...*grumble*...dang stick mouse wheel...

Addendum: Do not post on the touchy skating=sport? subtopic. It's dead and buried in the original thread.

 

[MythandLore]

http://www.nbcolympics.com/x/f/frame.htm?u=/news/706478.asp
Referee made allegations of irregularities

ISU president squares off with the media
ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta responds to charges of judging irregularity in the Olympic figure skating pairs competition.
SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 13 - The head of the International Skating Federation confirmed on Wednesday that the referee during the Olympic pairs figure skating competition had made an allegation of judging irregularities.

Vote now: Who should have won the gold in pairs figure skating? (NBC Website)
91% (Canada) 9% (Russia) 344076 responses so far.
http://www.nbcolympics.com/x/f/frame.htm?u=/news/705138.asp

Read what a the hubbub is about here:
Olympics: WE WERE ROBBED!!! Part 1: Page 1
Olympics: WE WERE ROBBED!!! Part 1: Page 2
Olympics: WE WERE ROBBED!!! Part 1: Page 3
Olympics: WE WERE ROBBED!!! Part 1: Page 4
Olympics: WE WERE ROBBED!!! Part 1: Page 5

 

[der_kluge]

This is just disgusting. This is just going to kill the Olympics, IMHO.

Next time, they should hire a bunch of judges from South America and Africa - countries with historically no ties to figure skating. They'd be about the most impartial ones you could get.

 

[Desdichado]

It won't kill the Olympics, but damn, it makes them look bad!

 

[der_kluge]

I've got it

I've got a solution.

You have the judging done by computer.
You place microphones in the audience stand, and a computer listens to the crowd response -
takes into consideration the amount of *gasps* (for mistakes) and uproarious applause for acceptance and compares the results together, sorts them into the top 3, and you get your winners.

Meanwhile, the judges are still in place so that the audience members (and skaters) believe that they are still being judged by people, but they are just decoys. The computer does all the work.

 

[Amrynn Moonshadow]

go canada! i hope things go well for all parties involved . . . and we get the gold back . . .

 

[Holy Bovine]

Canada will NOT be retroactively awarded the gold.

That is simply not a possibility. The Olympic commission will never allow that kind of reversal to happen.

Even the inquiry by the ISU will amount ot them asking the countires invovled in any wrong doing to reprimand their own judges - no official sanctions will be levied by the ISU or the IOC.

I really used to like the skating events (everything from figure to speed really) - I am very disappointed that this kind of thing is still happening.

 

[MythandLore]

Next time, they should hire a bunch of judges from South America and Africa - countries with historically no ties to figure skating. They'd be about the most impartial ones you could get.

I was thinking something along those lines, use judges from nations not involved in the event.
But the Judges are under an oath now, if they do find the judges were NOT impartial (and they will), it's going to get ugly.

Canada will NOT be retroactively awarded the gold.

That is simply not a possibility. The Olympic commission will never allow that kind of reversal to happen.

I totally agree, they would never switch the metals becuase of the judges.
______________

 

[Thorntangle]

They should have celebrity judges from the different countries. I think Burt Reynolds would do a fine job for the USA. He would just need a quick briefing and a stiff drink.

 

[Corinth]

Not Quite...

Canada won't get a retroactive gold unless the international public pressure makes it too hard to ignore; in the case of the insular society that is international figure skating, this is far more than exists at present.

Retroactive medal changes do happen in other sports, usually as a result of finding out that one or another competitor broke the rules and got away with it long enough to get the medal (and the boost to one's career that comes with it) before getting caught after the fact.

This particular scandal, however, is now too big for just the ISU to handle. The IOC must now force the issue and compel (a) retroactive medal changes, (b) reform in proceedure to put more objectivity into tallying the results of any competition and (c) criminal charges of fraud for the offending judges.