The Olympics Debacle

[unitedkoala]

I am what people call an armchair commentator for the Olympics i.e. I sit on my bean-bag chair and watch TV while making my opinions known to those around me. It is to no surprise that my fellow television-watchers have quickly dwindled due to my utterly bias and LOUD commentatory coupled with my intense impatience for scores to come out, replays

Comments

[probarch]

CLARA I LOVE WHAT YOU WROTE

[anonymous]

Umm... finding info on Chinese government sites that give her age as 14, in addition the news stories that gave her age as 13 last year, might not prove beyond a doubt that the Chinese team lied about their ages, but it is certainly enough to warrant an inquiry.

Personally, I don't think He's medal should be stripped so the US team can win. I think it should be stripped because I believe they cheated. However great her performance it doesn't change the fact that age rules exist for a reason, and there are gymnasts who didn't get the chance to compete because they are underage and followed the rules.

About Marion Jones, so what? Just because some people cheat doesn't give others the right to cheat as well.

Oh and the medal tally. That's the way the U.S. always calculates it. Even when the U.S. is leading in gold medals it still goes by total medals. It isn't just unique to these games.

[unitedkoala]

First of all, don't remain anonymous - it's just cowardly as if you don't want people to know who you are. Are you a friend with no Lj account? A stranger who has chanced upon this (I doubt so 'cos my blog is hardly fantabulous)? Reveal thyself

[anonymous]

I did actually stumble across your blog. I was looking at news stories through google and decided to check out blogs. It isn't an attempt to hide my identity

[unitedkoala]

The public (I believe the USA public is included in this) was very sympathetic to Andreea Raducan in 2000 because it was largely believed that she did not take the drugs on purpose. (Of course, her All-Around gold medal did not deprive any US gymnasts of medals.) Why is this sympathy not extended He Kexin? You can bet your bottom dollar that if her age was faked, it was likely that her opinion didn't matter in that decision and this was probably beyond her control. This is the general consensus anyway. (The alternative explanation is that the public's "human" side has severely degraded over the past 8 years... a notion I sincerely hope is false.)

I'll give you the medal tally since NBC Olympics does give the ranking by total medals. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080810052304AAmGeO4 is interesting to read though.

[rwook]

Matthew Mitcham is gay?! BUT HE IS DAMN HOT, CLARA. Now my heart is broken

Shit I actually went to google it and HE IS GAY. Omo. And I also found some fansite that I feel like joining HAHA.

Anyway this was a good read! As much as I wanted the USA (or anyone, actually) to beat China in the medal tally, I really think USA's behaviour over this just stinks of childishness la. You've lost, accept it! I feel quite bad for them because the pretty gymnast (Sacramone?) really screwed up big time, but I thought it was quite clear China ought to have won anyway.

But anyway, not like it'll make a difference if the medal is awarded to them in the end! They don't deserve it, and the gymnasts will know la.

[unitedkoala]

Yes it's very unfortunate that he's gay :( Although it's nice that he's very very openly gay... His partner was there in Beijing I believe? Oooh what's the fansite?! Heehee I'm just happy that he won cos he's Aussie :)