No sports competition is without its share of controversies. However, some controversies are said to be so deep that they literally shocked the sporting world to the core. Take a look at 5 such controversies pertaining to the Winter Olympics that stand testament to how the world has become corrupted over the years and no longer recognizes due talent.
Figure Skating Controversy at Sochi Winter Olympics
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Figure skating is usually mired in a lot of controversies. The latest to join the list is that of the results of the figure skating competition at the Sochi Winter Olympics that placed Adelina Sotnikova ahead of the crowd favorite Yuan Kim. The large margin of victory made many cry foul as they demanded an investigation behind a supposedly corrupt judging panel. Adding fuel to the fire were the claims of judges taking bribes and one of them hugging Sotnikova after the results were announced.
Controversial Attack on Nancy Kerrigan
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In what can be called an open rivalry turned sour, ace skater Nancy Kerrigan who was the gold medal favorite at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer was attacked by the husband of a rival skater a few weeks before the competition. Although the rival’s intention was to break Kerrigan’s leg so that she could not compete in the national championships as well as the Olympics, Kerrigan made a full recovery before the latter and went on to win the gold at the Olympics in 1994.
Austrian Olympians Doping Controversy
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Doping controversies are quite common in a number of sporting events these days. In 2006, an entire team from Austria constituting 15 members of the biathlon and cross country teams was disqualified from the Salt Lake City Olympics when a raid at their residences confirmed reports of doping, substance abuse and blood transfusions. The raid was conducted following a tip off about the former Nordic coach of the team Walter Mayer still performing blood transfusions on the athletes.
Jean –Claude Killy’s Controversial Gold Haul at Grenoble
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During the 1968 Winter Olympics held in Grenoble, a French skier by name Jean-Claude Killy made a clean sweep of the gold at all three of the alpine skiing events. However, complaints from Austrian skier Karl Schranz about a man crossing his path during the race forced the judges to make him race again. Although he did beat Killy’s time, Schranz missed a gate while racing the first time and was disqualified for the same. He annulled the results of the second run, thus lending an easy victory for Killy.
French Judge Controversy at Salt Lake City
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Salt Lake City was witness to another controversy that occurred at the 2002 Winter Olympics. Apparently, a French judge on the judging panel for figure skating placed the crowd favorite Canadian pair of David Pelletier and Jamie Sale second in spite of the latter performing a flawless routine. It was later revealed that he judge had been forced by the French skating organization to vote for the Russia’s Anton Sikharulidze and Elena Berezhnaya in favor of securing a favorable position for the French in the ice dancing competition that was about to take place in a few days’ time.
Sporting events are never complete without some form of controversy or the other. The winter Olympics in particular, have seen their fair share of controversial wins and losses over the years.