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Olympic
Games Controversies and Heartbreaks
Organisation
of an event like the Olympic Games is a mammoth task,
which Australians and the Olympics organisers have
handled with great efficiency. However, there are always
those little or big controversies in
the lead up to, or during the Olympic Games - remember
Dawn Fraser and that famous flag at the Tokyo Olympics? Hopefully
there won't be a great many of them this year, but for interest's
sake, we thought we'd keep a record of them and see what
some of our 10 year old students thought about them. If
any of our viewers would like to comment as well, you can
email your opinions to
us and we will include them here. (as long as they are
printable!)
New section since the Games began is the Heartbreak
section - some memorable and heartbreaking moments!!
HEARTBREAK
30
September, 2000 - Men's Relay Team
Loses Appeal
Australia was bumped from tonight's Olympic men's 4x100m track relay final when Italy won a
counter-appeal in Sydney today.
Australia had been disqualified for an illegal baton change in last night's semi-final but was reinstated when it appealed to the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF).
The last qualifier for the final, Australia's successful appeal edged Italy out of the final.
The Italians then launched a counter-appeal and had their case heard this morning. The IAAF upheld
Italy's case, placing it back in the final at Australia's expense.
Athletics Australia spokesman Stephen Lock said the relay team was disappointed but that's where the matter would end. "The team is disappointed but accepts the decision, which is binding," Lock said.
Story
from Sydney Morning Herald |
 29
September, 2000 - Women's Relay Team
Loses Baton
It was disaster and heartbreak for the
Women's 4x100m relay team, when, 12seconds into the race,
the second runner, Lauren Hewitt, took off from her
mark and ran away from the baton-holding first
runner, Elly Hutton.
It was immediately apparent that Hewitt was too far ahead. Hutton waved the baton and called out, but
by the time Hewitt got the message to slow down it
was too late. The baton did not reach her until she
had passed through the permissible zone, and then it was dropped anyway.
''She was just too fast for me to catch her,'' said Hutton. ''I called out to her to slow down. I tried
to get to her but it was too late. We ran over the line.''
Hewitt's version was similar: ''I don't actually know how it happened. I took off, and all I heard
her saying was 'Slow down, I'm not going to catch you'.''
Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, left high and dry at the last turn, said: ''Isn't it sad? The poor
little darling (Hutton).''
Hewitt said she was ''bitterly disappointed. We all wanted to go out there and make the final.
We've kept saying, anything can happen in relays. People drop batons. Only this time it
happened to us.''
The American team were careful with their changes, winning their heat comfortably in 42.92.
Marion Jones, who would have been watching nervously, did not run. For the remaining rounds
they will also be without two-time Olympic 100m champion Gail Devers, who injured herself in
the 100m hurdles final on Wednesday.
Story
from Sydney Morning Herald |
 28
September, 2000 - Saville Distraught
after disqualfication
Australia's Jane Saville knew exactly what she needed at the end of the
women's 20 km event at the Sydney Olympics on Thursday.
"A gun to shoot myself," she said. Saville was already savouring victory, with the crowd's deafening cheers ringing in her ears, as she approached
the Olympic Stadium in the lead.
But as she descended the tunnel leading to the track she was shown her third and final warning for failing to make
continuous contact with the ground, leading to immediate
disqualification.
The 31-year-old from Sydney threw her arms in the air in horror and burst into tears as soon as she saw the
road-side judge waving his red card, her dream of an
unexpected triumph shattered. Eventual winner Wang Liping, not far behind
Saville, walked past and the stadium crowd's roar was
replaced by a collective gasp as the Chinese athlete
appeared.
The distraught Saville was left outside of the stadium.
"I saw the judge get out the red warning and I thought:
'No, no!'...there's nothing that can console me, only the
gold medal," she said.
"I was bitterly disappointed. I thought I would get the
gold medal in my home town."
Saville was not the only one to go through agonies on Thursday. Chinese world champion Liu Hongyu, who had escaped with Saville and Italy's
Elisabetta Perrone around five kilometres from home, was left leaning against a
metal barrier by the course, her head in her hands, after also being
disqualified.
Perrone was herself thrown out of the race moments later. Despite the
disqualification, she kept on walking, overtaking the new leader, Saville, before
pulling up in frustration as she reached the stadium.
Saville thought then that the gold was hers. "When I saw the Chinese disqualified, I said 'Thank you', when I saw the Italian
disqualified I said 'Thank you'", she said.
"I expected to finish with two red cards. When I came near the stadium I could
hear the crowd. It was awesome."
Wang, who won in one hour 29 minutes five seconds, had already given up
hope of a gold medal.
"I was thinking that I would be happy with silver or bronze," she said. "When
Liu was fouled, it did not affect me. I just concentrated on my race."
Saville, however, had the last word. "The race was not a good advertisement for
race walking," she said.
Story
from www.olympics.com |
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CONTROVERSY
11
September, 2000 - TV ROW PULLS PLUG ON
YOUNGSTERS" STAR ROLE
A row between Channel 7 and the
Sydney Olympic broadcasters (SOBO) has
dashed the dreams of Queensland
children performing at the Brisbane
Olympic opening ceremony. Children and
parents became angry as they learnt
that Channel 7 was not going to telecast
the even live. Channel 7 late
yesterday said it was prepared to do
was broadcast the event, featuring up
to 1200 Queensland children, on one of
their pay TV channels. |
Channel
7 blamed SOBO, but SOBO said it was
covering the opening ceremony which is
on Wednesday night before the first of
the Olympic Soccer matches to be held
at the 'Gabba; and it was available to
Channel 7 to broadcast.
Many
children from schools as far away as
Townsville, have been practising daily
for the performance and had expected
that it would be televised so that
family and friends could see them
perform. |
Year
5 G's Opinion
| "I
think that Channel 7
should broadcast the event live,
not just on Pay TV which not
everyone has got. We're just as
important here in Brisbane as
Sydney!!" |
|
26
July, 2000 - GAMES OFFICIALS BACK
HONEST HEROES
Australian
athletes will be permitted to place
bets on the Olympics in a controversial
decision which has bewildered the
sporting world. Although some athletes
fear the decision will leave the team
open to match fixing, the AOC has
decided not to ban players from
betting on themselves or rivals, but
it will be discouraged.
AOC
President John Coates said there would
be a late clause in the athletes
contracts banning them from promoting
betting outlets. |
However,
while they would discourage athletes
from betting, there had been no
official move to ban it completely.
"You don't ban anything you can't
enforce," he said. Olympic
betting is banned in New South Wales
but is available interstate or on the
Internet. Melinda Gainsford-Taylor said
that to allow athletes to bet on themselves
and others was "ridiculous"
and she wouldn't be betting on anyone.
Other Olympians like Kieran Perkins
also said they would prefer betting
not be part of the Games. |
Year
5G Opinion:
| "I
think that Olympians should be
able to put down bets on
themselves. They should be able
to bet like everyone else."
- Stuart. |
| "I
think no Olympics should have
betting if they are going to
cheat. If they are betting on
themselves since they are
confident, that is OK." -
Bryce |
| "I
reckon that betting should be
banned because if it isn't,
someone might bet on themselves
and then trip the real winner,
then the cheater gets all the
money." - Rachael |
| "I
think it's ridiculous because
people could lose a lot of money
on it and if the match fix, they
could be banned." Shaun B. |
|
20
July, 2000 - TICKET PRICES SIDELINE
WICKHAM
Tracey Wickham, one of Australia's
greatest swimmers, has blasted ticket
prices for the opening ceremony for
the Olympic Games as
"stealing". Tracey says she
will have to sit in her hotel room in
Sydney and watch the Olympics Games
opening ceremony because of the ridiculous
prices for tickets. |
"To
pay a grand to go and see the opening
or closing ceremony is just
stealing," she said, "The
Olympics are for the people and they
have to be given the opportunity to
see the Games." Even
her world titles, records and
Commonwealth gold medals, an MBE and a
job commentating at the Olympics were
not enough to get Tracey a
complimentary seat at the Games. |
Year
5g's and 5P's Opinion:
| "I
think that the prices should go
down. It's just like someone
walking into the TAB pub and the
pub owner says," Pay me
$1000 bucks because Tim Horan is
in here." - Jackson |
| "I
agree with her, it is too much
for a normal person or even her
to go to the Olympics. The Games
are for the people not just the
athletes." - Georgina |
| "I
think that past Olympians should
be able to se the Opening
Ceremony and Closing Ceremony
fro free because they have made
our country look good. I think
that $1000 for a ticket is
unfair. I also think that the
Olympics Games are for the
people. |
| "I
do not think it is stealing
because people will not see
anything like it again." -
Shaun B. |
| "A
grand is not much money to go
and see the Olympics opening or
closing and she shouldn't be
whinging about it. ' - Matthew |
| "I
think Tracey should get in for
free because she is part of the
Olympic Games and I think its
bad for an Olympic swimmer to
pay for a ticket." -
Shaunna |
| "It
is stupid to charge 1 grand for
a seat to the Olympics. Why
should Tracey get a free seat
just because she works there and
has won a gold medal, plus she
is complaining to get in free.
No one else is complaining so
why should Tracey! - Rowan |
| "I
think Tracey is right about
paying a grand for the Olympic
Games Opening Ceremony. But I
think she should not get a
complimentary seat. I would
rather be at home watching the
Games because you save
money." - Shaun M. |
|
 7
July, 2000 - POST NOTE- WHISTLEBLOWER
BACKS DOWN ON DRUG CLAIMS AND TURNS
AMBASSADOR
The Australian Olympic Committee
called off an investigation into
claims that its officials had aided
drug taking athletes when Werner
Reiterer refused to supply names of
drug cheats or officials on the Sydney
Olympics team at a meeting yesterday.
Reiterer
came out of the meeting with an unpaid
position as an anti-doping ambassador
with the AOC.
|
This was despite having
exposed himself as a drug cheat who
had used steroids and human growth
hormones over 5 years. Reiterer
contradicted his own comments when he
said he had no specific knowledge of
an Australian athlete in training for
Sydney Olympics who was using drugs
and that legal reasons prevented him
from naming Olympic officials but that
they would not have direct involvement
in the 2000 Olympics. Reiterer had
claimed that Australian swimmers were
using drugs. Kieren Perkins said he
had been disgusted by Reiterer's initial
claims and that the Australian public
realise what a joke it has all been!! |
Opinion:
| "Not
really a joke, but pretty sad
that this sort of thing has been
dragged into the open and then hastily
swept under the carpet again,
and the guy involved given a job
with the AOC to boot!! that IS a
joke!!" |
|
POSTNOTE
-
Qld Anti-Discrimination
Tribunal refused to grant SOCOG an
exemption from state laws which would
have permitted them to use Queensland
wheelchair accessible buses. |
 6
July, 2000 - GAMES BUS GRAB THREAT
DISABLED
Olympic organisers were accused
last night of stealing buses from
disabled Queenslands to prop up
Sydney's transport system for the
Games. Sydney's Olympic Roads and
Transport Authority said it was
borrowing 3 800 buses Australia -
wide. These included more than 30 wheelchair
accessible buses from Queensland to be
used for both the Olympics and
Paralympics.
The
authority appeared before Qld's Anti-Discrimination
Tribunal yesterday, asking for an
exemption from state laws. This would
prevent disabled people from claiming
compensation for the loss of special
bus services. Disability advocacy
groups were against the move which has
already been rejected in Victoria. |
Anti
discrimination Commissioner, Karen
Walters said the commission had been
flooded with complaints by people
concerned about their health,
mobility, independence, capacity ot
work and well being. Queensland has
183 wheelchair accessible buses, of
which fifty belong to the Council and
123, which were the ones being
borrowed, owned by private companies.
2000 chief
Peter Jones said there would be no Qld
disruption as only private, chartered
and school buses were being sought and
it would be school holidays anyway.
Queensland Council fro Social Service
director Shirley Watters said wheelchair
accessible buses were few and there
were none available for the Olympics.
They also feared maxi taxi owners
would head south and leave no
transport for disabled people who
would be housebound
The
tribunal hearing was adjourned to July
26.
Source: Courier Mail
|
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
|
Year
5g is on holidays at the moment so are
not available for comment. |
| "With
the Paralympics on, it will be
necessary to have extra buses for the Games anyway. One would imagine
that it would be more cost effective
to borrow buses if possible rather
than buy them as long as it was not leaving
disabled people without
transport. However, SOCOG should have
thought of all this beforehand -
another case of poor planning??" |
|
6
July, 2000 - DRUG CHEAT TO NAME
ATHLETES
Confessed drug cheat Werner
Reiterer will name up to 25 Australian
athletes competing at the Sydney
Olympics he claims are using banned
drugs.
The
Australian Olympic Committee ordered
an urgent investigation into his
claims, which also alleged that sports
officials assisted the drug taking
athletes.
|
Reiterer,
a Commonwealth Games Gold Medal winner
for discus throwing,
has agreed to cooperate with a snap
doping inquiry and said he had direct
knowledge of up to 25 athletes using
drugs. He had come clean only 71 days
before the Games to clear his
conscience and claimed that drugs were
one of the reason Australia came 5th
at the last Olympics and that Olympic officials
not only knew of his drug taking but
sanctioned it. Reiterer who would have
been a medal chance the Sydney
Olympics, retired after making these allegations. |
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
|
Year
5g is on holidays at the moment so are
not available for comment. |
| "All
drug cheats should be banned from the
Games and all competition, unfortunately,
it is impossible to detect them all.
Did
Reiterer
confess because he was scared of being
detected by the testing at the
Games?" |
|
 22
June, 2000 - RESIDENTS OF DINGO SHOW
DISPLEASURE
Residents of Dingo, a town in Central
Queensland showed their displeasure at not
being included as a stopover town for the
Olympic flame by turning their backs on
the SOCOG
convoy carrying |
the flame and the support
staff as it passed through their town.
But
the convoy made a special stop for them and
the Torch Relay General Manager, Di Henry
got off the vehicle carrying the flame in
its security lantern.
Source: Courier Mail
|
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
| "It
is childish for them to turn their
backs to it and the bus shouldn't have
stopped because they don't appreciate
it." - Cameron |
| "I
think it's childish of the Dingo
residents to so such a thing. They
could drive to another town to see it
anyway." - Stuart |
|
 22
June, 2000 - SOCOG
CONSULTANT ATTEMPTS FIRE SALE
A former full-time SOCOG employee who
still does consulting work for Games
organisers, has tried to sell his torch and
official relay uniform for $15000 on an
Internet auction.
Rod Munro ran a leg of the
Torch Relay in Queensland after he won a
staff ballot. The items were withdrawn from
sale after an official complaint from SOCOG
who said the sale breached a torch relay
participation agreement.
|
A
SOCOG brand protection manager sent an email
to the auction site asking them to withdraw
the items for sale. Mr Munro claimed he had
no idea the torch was for sale and blamed
his wife for listing it on the Internet
auction site. He said he was thinking of
selling it before he ran but there was no
way he would sell it now for even $2
million. Each torch
bearer, who must sign the participation
agreement, is able to buy the torch before
the relay for $320 before 1 July or $352
afterwards, or at the collection point for
$340 or $374 after 1 July, 2000. Source: Courier Mail |
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
| "If
Rod had paid for it, I think he should
be able to sell it. It sounds stupid
to try and sell it anyway. It's his
decision." - Stuart |
| "It
should be up to him if he wants to
sell it or not. If I was him I would
keep it." - Cameron |
|
 12
June, 2000
In Queensland on Sunday, 11 June, Torch
Bearer Kevin Hamilton handed the
flame he was carrying, to his escort runner
and instead carried an Aboriginal flag on
his leg through the streets of
Coolangatta. |
It
was the first time on the relay that a
torchbearer had used the Torch Relay for
political purposes.
The
Torch Relay in Australia has been well
represented by the Aboriginal people, with
aboriginal athlete Nova Peris Kneebone being
the first Torch Bearer in Australia at Uluru
and many other aboriginal people also taking
part.
|
|
Opinion:
| "With
the Aboriginal people being so well
represented in the Torch Relay and the
non political nature of the whole
event, this gesture was unnecessary
and an insult to the honour given to
Mr Hamilton of being a Torch Bearer!" |
|
 2
June, 2000 - POST NOTE - (THE POWER OF THE
PRESS):
SOCOG BACKDOWN A WIN FOR CHARITIES
Charity and community groups will be allowed
to raise funds at torch relay celebration
sites after an embarrassing backdown by
Olympic Games organisers yesterday.
SOCOG
officials said non profit groups would be
allowed unrestricted entry to official
celebration sites. This comes after the Courier
Mail revealed that SOCOG intended to force
charity groups to sign exclusive contracts
and hand over 40% of the profits. The
contracts said that only particular brands
of bread, ice cream, fast food, oils and dressings
be sold along the torch relay route.
SOCOG
spokesman Brian Dale said yesterday that
charities and groups would be |
free to
fundraise
without restriction on what they sell. However
he said that private organisations like Mr
Whippy would be excluded from the
celebration sites. Mr Dale said that SOCOG
was committed to making sure that community
celebrations were held in the spirit of
national pride as originally intended.
Premier
Beattie congratulated SOCOG for its policy
change saying that it was proof that public
outrage could change people's minds. He said
Queenslanders could now celebrate the torch
relay in the true Olympic spirit. He
also said that police would refuse to be
involved in SOCOG's merchandising disputes. However
police in north Queensland claimed they were
told they would be required to carry out
requests from SOCOG officials. Police Minister,
Tom Barton said police had told him they
would not be shifting community groups,
P&C's or other vendors along the Olympic
Torch relay route. Source: Courier Mail |
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
| "I
think that SOCOG is doing the right
thing. They are good for changing
their mind. Did they change their mind
because they were forced or they
wanted to?" - Emma |
| "I
think it is right for SOCOG to sell
things along the side of the torch
relay route, which they are doing. I'm
also glad that Premier Beattie
congratulated SOCOG for its policy
change." - Alana |
| "I
think it is good that SOCOG changed
their mind but I still don't like the
newspaper taking all the credit."
- Sarah |
| "It
was good for SOCOG to change their
minds so the people can sell what ever
they want." - James |
|
1
June, 2000
POLICE ROLE INFLAMES TORCH ROW
Queensland police will help force community and
charities to sell only food and merchandise
produced by Olympic sponsors at "celebration
sites" along the route of the torch relay.
SOCOG torch
relay chairman Brian Dale said that "no
official request" had been put to police but
they had been informally notified that they would
have to evict vendors who did not leave the
"celebration sites". These were sites
that councils had put aside for SOCOG's use and were
temporarily SOCOG's private property during the relay.
Less
that three weeks ago, there was a row about about
how SOCOG was supposed to be forcing groups to
sign contracts to hand over 40% of their profits
from vendor stalls.
|
Local
Government Association of Queensland director,
Greg Hallam described the latest moves as a
"disgraceful misuse of the state's police
resources". He said," They are just
arrogant if they intend to misuse our Queensland police
to move on vendors during the relay." However
Mr Dale said that Queensland Councils had already
signed contracts with SOCOG to ensure sponsor's
rights would be protected at regional relay sites.
"No one will be allowed to operate stalls or
sell unofficial Games merchandise without prior
approval." Premier
Beattie declined to comment last night. Last month
he described SOCOG's actions as "highway
robbery". The
president of the Schools' P& C Associations
called on schools to boycottofficial relay
celebrations.
Source: Courier Mail
|
|
Year
5g's Opinion:
| "I
think that the Courier Mail should
stop making a big fuss about SOCOG.
The P&C Associations should let
schools watch the torch go by because
it is a big event and it's not every
day you can watch it." - Brenda |
| "I
think they're making such a big deal
about it. There is nothing wrong with selling
Olympic stuff. Why aren't schools
allowed to watch the relay, it is
ridiculous! Nobody will end up selling
other stuff anyway!" - Emma |
| "I
think it is OK for the police to move
people along for not selling the right
thing. Schools should be allowed to watch
the torch relay." - Sam |
| "I
think that SOCOG should be allowed to
have a certain area. I also think
there should only be 1 or 2 policemen
patrolling the area. There probably
won't be anyone putting up their own
stalls anyway!" - Stuart |
| "I
think it is not fair for people to try
to make school children not go and
watch the Olympic Torch go by. SOCOG
is doing the right thing by only
letting official Olympic Games
products and products from sponsors." -
Bryce |
| "The
newspapers are just making a big fuss
about this." - Stephen 1 |
| "I
think schools should be able to see
the see the Torch Relay." - Hayley |
|
POST
NOTE:
16
May, 2000
SOCOG distanced itself from the controversy
claiming charities or community groups would not
be forced to become tax collectors for the
Olympics. |
"We
do not need to take anything from the proceeds of
food or drinks sold along the route of the Torch
Relay or its celebration sites, certainly not
40%," a spokesman said.
Source: Courier Mail
|
 15
May, 2000
Community groups and charities will be banned from fundraising along the Olympic
torch route unless they sign contracts to sell only items from Games sponsors.
| | | | |
