I watched as the Canadian figure skating couple, Salé and Pelletier stood with their Russian figure-skating counterparts, as they, the Canadians received the gold medals they were originally cheated out of winning.
The ceremony was held last night, February 17,2002 at the far end of the rink where the ice dancing competition had just wrapped up at around 10:45pm Eastern time.
The four skaters stood together on a podium, built specifically for this occasion. And as they stood there, the president of the figure skating organization presented the two Canadians with their Gold Medals. And afterwards, the four competitors watched as their national flags were raised side by side, and the two anthems were played in tribute to their endeavor.
This was wrong, wrong, wrong!
The Canadians were cheated out of winning their medals. Period! There are no other simultaneous flag raisings, and playing of two national anthems, unless there would be a dead heat in the legitimate judging of competitors. This was not the case.
There are not two champion figure skating pairs. There is only one. Why should Salé and Pelletier, who legitimately won the competition, have to share the moment with anyone? The Russians did not win the Gold Medal. They received it through no fault of their own by the atrocious dishonesty of the system.
But; nonetheless, the Russians did not win it. If they did, the French judge would not have been suspended and the IOC would not have altered the results. It is really as simple as that.
I feel sorry for the Russian pair who worked as hard as any other team to successfully compete. But, there can only be one champion. One “best”.
Two teams with different styles, programs and competence can not be equals, especially since there seems to be no question that there was severe impropriety in the judging. So, how come the Russians still hold their medals? They didn’t earn them. But; the Canadians did.
This contrived medal presentation had nothing whatsoever to do with correcting an injustice. But; had everything to do with salvaging the image of the Olympics. This is not the first time that Olympic judges cheated. It isn’t even the first time that Olympic judges were caught cheating. And it won’t be the last.
But: this is the first time that the cheating was so obvious, and brought such an enormous negative reaction, that the IOC had to do something. Originally, the something was to do the same old, same old. Have some kind of inquiry long after the fact, and in a few months, make a decision that no longer really meant anything.
But; this time was different. People are just fed up with liars, cheaters ands elitists. And, whether the IOC wanted to do something about this travesty or not, they had no choice.
So, in the true fashion of the elitists, let’s make a compromise, and have two champions, where only one is legitimate. And let’s not offend anyone by standing for the truth. So, in order to save their own face, the IOC once again cheated.
I believe that Salé and Pelletier, who acted unbelievably well under this pressure should have refused to attend this Gold Medal presentation sham, and should have publicly returned their Silver Medals.
All that happened last night, was a white-wash for the corrupt system that has been fostered by the elitist IOC, from the very beginning of the so-called “modern day Olympics”.
Canada and the entire world, including the Russian pair were cheated. And in accepting this compromise, the world let the IOC get away with it.
One Comment
I completely agree with what you said Howard, but the real danger to the survival of the United States is found encapsulated in this quote from recent history:
“The danger to America is not Barack Obama but a citizenry capable of entrusting a man like him with the Presidency. It will be far easier to limit and undo the follies of an Obama presidency than to restore the necessary common sense and good judgment to a depraved electorate willing to have such a man for their president. The problem
Comments are closed.