GYMGATE ROCKS OLYMPICS
People power has triumphed here in Athens.
Last night, spectators at the gymnastics horizontal bar final halted proceedings for 10 minutes because they were booing so much at the 9.725 given to Russia's Alexei Nemov -- which they considered too low.
The judges buckled under the weight of the crowd's fury and upped their mark to 9.762 -- but that was still too low to win Nemov a medal.
Nemov eventually had to return to the gymn floor to urge the audience to quieten down.
The Russian media are hopping mad.
State-run television has called the score "a grandiose scandal and a sensation."
Russian sports journalists say Nemov's performance was "200% better" than his rivals.
"To give the names of the medalists would be insulting and unnecessary, but one must
name the champion: Alexei Nemov," said an anchor on NTV.
Nemov seems quite pleased with the crowd's reaction. He said he was "very grateful." The boos, he said, made his performance feel like victory.
The Russian Olympic Committee is now likely to appeal.
People power has triumphed here in Athens.
Last night, spectators at the gymnastics horizontal bar final halted proceedings for 10 minutes because they were booing so much at the 9.725 given to Russia's Alexei Nemov -- which they considered too low.
The judges buckled under the weight of the crowd's fury and upped their mark to 9.762 -- but that was still too low to win Nemov a medal.
Nemov eventually had to return to the gymn floor to urge the audience to quieten down.
The Russian media are hopping mad.
State-run television has called the score "a grandiose scandal and a sensation."
Russian sports journalists say Nemov's performance was "200% better" than his rivals.
"To give the names of the medalists would be insulting and unnecessary, but one must
name the champion: Alexei Nemov," said an anchor on NTV.
Nemov seems quite pleased with the crowd's reaction. He said he was "very grateful." The boos, he said, made his performance feel like victory.
The Russian Olympic Committee is now likely to appeal.
posted by Stuart at 11:30
5 Comments:
If only 'people power' could have forced the Marathon to be held in the morning. Ah well at least NBC had a live event they could show!
Anyway rather OT but it seems once again Stuart Hughes sets the news agenda!
OlympicPin Story at BBCNews
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3592014.stm
Don't know whether you caught this one as well - Canadian, Kyle Shewfelt came up short on vault exercise even though Dragalescu stumbled off the mat in his second vault. It seems the gymnastics judges are not, perhaps, up to the job they have been appointed to.
Don't know whether you caught this one as well - Canadian, Kyle Shewfelt came up short on vault exercise even though Dragalescu stumbled off the mat in his second vault. It seems the gymnastics judges are not, perhaps, up to the job they have been appointed to.
Don't know whether you caught this one as well - Canadian, Kyle Shewfelt came up short on vault exercise even though Dragalescu stumbled off the mat in his second vault. It seems the gymnastics judges are not, perhaps, up to the job they have been appointed to.
Nemov was absolutely incredible, and the crowd reaction to the judges robbing him of the gold was exemplary, one of the funniest things I've seen - all those thumbs down, Gladiator-tastic!
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