11/23/24
February 20, 2002
Ohno wins gold in Men's 1500m short skate. : But not without controversy. He technically came in second, like in the 1,000 m debacle, but once again it was because of a South Korean skater who seemed to confuse "short skating" with "rugby". The official disqualifed the So. Korean skater shortly after the race finished, giving Ohno the gold.
posted by hincandenza to other at 10:23 PM - 16 comments
That's a questionable call, maybe a tit-for-tat to make up for Ohno's bad luck last Saturday night. I don't know if I agree with it, really, but good for Ohno. He was a good sport about the wipeout in his previous race that took him from gold to silver, so maybe this is good karma paying him back.
posted by msacheson at 12:30 AM on February 21, 2002
hincandenza: Please save your racist remarks for another board. One athlete != Whole Nation. Hope you enjoy the USA - South Korea match at the world cup later this year.
posted by salmacis at 04:08 AM on February 21, 2002
The thing that amazed me about the race was the South Korean skater throwing his country's flag on the ice. If a U.S. athlete did that, he'd be slaughtered in the press faster than you can say Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
posted by rcade at 07:20 AM on February 21, 2002
I thought the call was questionable at first as well but then I looked up the rules. On the replay, the Korean definitely made a quick move sideways to block Ohno. During the race, I thought "well that's what I would have done too" but, then again, at that time I didn't know the rules. The Korean should have. What I loved about the race is how Ohno just decided in one straightaway that he wanted to pass everyone and would have gone from 5th to 1st in a very short distance had the Korean not blocked him, that was sweet.
posted by srw12 at 08:13 AM on February 21, 2002
I can't really watch speed skating, it holds no interest for me. But there is something about that Apollo kid that makes me want to punch him in the face. Or step on his toes.
posted by corpse at 10:36 AM on February 21, 2002
salmacis: hincandenza: Please save your racist remarks for another board. One athlete != Whole Nation First, in the words of David Hyde Pierce in "Wet Hot American Summer": Oh, f*ck my cock. Second: not racism. South Korea != Race. Third, my wording was poor; I was trying say "not to be to harsh here about the nation of South Korea, but did they [by "they", I meant the short-skate team, not the whole nation] learn sportsmanship and ethics ....", the fact is there do seem to be a lot of spills, bumps, and disqualifications on the part of the So. Korea skate team, not just in the big races but in the qualifying heats as well.
posted by hincandenza at 11:39 AM on February 21, 2002
All of the news stories I've seen/read about this do the same thing your original post does, hicandenza, and that is make it sound like Ohno was tackled, beaten and then shanked. When I saw the tape, it looked more like Kim made a casual move and Ohno used a little bit o' the basketball style overdramataic-throw-yourself-on-the-ground-when-someone-grazes-you-on-the-elbow play. That's not to say that Ohno doesn't deserve the medal. I read the rules today and it Kim 100% violated them. Just to say that the ruling wasn't really very controversial (violate rules, lose points) and the event wasn't all that dramatic. (But then, what do I know, I spent a night thoroughly enjoying women's curling.) (btw rcade, I thought the same thing about the flag. there would be some serious tarring and feathering if it had been a US athlete post-9/11)
posted by eyeballkid at 11:44 AM on February 21, 2002
Hincandenza, you got trolled. Salmacis got your goat. What are you gonna do with that goat, Salmacis?
posted by Samsonov14 at 12:26 PM on February 21, 2002
The thing that amazed me about the race was the South Korean skater throwing his country's flag on the ice. If a U.S. athlete did that, he'd be slaughtered in the press faster than you can say Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf. -rcade Yeah, I thought that was pretty ridiculous.
posted by insomnyuk at 12:47 PM on February 21, 2002
not only did he drop the flag, but he kicked it....with a long sharp metal blade attached to his foot. geesh!!
posted by garfield at 02:41 PM on February 21, 2002
From the looks of it, I wondered how much of the action was, for lack of a better word, forced. Ohno was putting on a pretty big power show moving from fifth to second in a matter of seconds and I suppose if I were the South Korean I would've been pretty peeved at Ohno in general; I don't know how Ohno is regarded by his competitors and other fellow speedskaters. Maybe it's all par for the course in short-track? But Ohno knew the rules had been broken and bided his time. Damn, that kid's good.
posted by evixir at 04:34 PM on February 21, 2002
Pastepotpete - where are you now, man? Free Apolo Ohno!
posted by catatonic at 06:01 PM on February 21, 2002
dudes, I think we did rob those Koreans from a gold. The Italian skater said "it's absurd " that the Korean was disqualified and the Canadien skater said that you don't call cross-tracking at a turn at which the lead skater has the right of way to cut inside. Ah well...
posted by astroth at 09:56 PM on February 26, 2002
Check out this site, some blatant OhNo violations that were ignored by NBC: http://comedy.mytripod.co.kr/
posted by astroth at 07:51 AM on February 27, 2002
What violations from Ohno? I see the Chinese racer push the Korean. I'm sure this Korean tripod site is just such a credible source.
posted by gyc at 02:46 PM on February 27, 2002
So, not to be to harsh here about the nation of South Korea, but did they learn sportsmanship and ethics at the "Evil Rich Kids' Camp Across the Lake Training Academy" or something? Thank god the Winter Olympics doesn't have a whitewater rafting competition, or someone might get hurt!